Investigation on the origin of 5-HMF in Shengmaiyin decoction by RP-HPLC method

The origin of 5-HMF (5-hydroxymethyl-2-furaldehyde) in a Shengmaiyin decoction was investigated by the RP-HPLC method below. AC18 column (250 mm×4.6 mm, i.d. 5 μm) with a column temperature of 25°C was used. The mobile phase was a mixture of ultra-pure water-acetonitrile (95∶3,V/V) and the flow rate was 1.0 ml/min. The detection wavelength was 280 nm. The injection volume was 1 μl and the running time was about 20 min. The addition ofSchisandra was regulated to assess the contribution of an acid envrionment to the production of 5-HMF. In order to confirm the role of saccharides in the production of 5-HMF, different amount of fructose was used. The 5-HMF level in decoctions of processed and unprocessedSchisandra was investigated in order to determine the origin of 5-HMF. The results showed that 5-HMF was derived mainly from the decoction ofSchisandra only and not the mixed decocition ofOphionpogon andSchisandra. The appearance of 5-HMF is not simply the result of the decomposition of saccharides under the acid environment created bySchisandra, but the processing procedure plays an important role in the production of 5-HMF.