Objective: To explore a characteristic chemical marker of Dendrobium officinale, establish determination method of its content and determine the naringenin content in D. officinale from different sources and growth years.
Method: The content of naringenin was determined by HPLC. HPLC analysis was made on a XB -C18 (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 microm) with methanol and water containing 0.2% phosphoric acid as mobile phase. The detection wavelength was 290 nm.
Result: The HPLC method showed good linearity within the range of 0.026-0.208 microg (r = 1). The average recovery of naringenin was 96.3% (RSD 1.8%). The naringenin content was the highest in 3 years D. officinale and had some differences from different sources.
Conclusion: The method is accurate and reliable. It is appropriate for the quantitative determination of naringenin in D. officinale and it's production.