Analysis of Ginkgolides and Bilobalides in Ginkgo biloba L. Extract for Its Production Process Control by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography

Abstract

A high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method is developed for the determination of the pharmacologically active terpenoids Ginkgolide A, B, and C and bilobalide in Ginkgo biloba L. leaves extract (GBE). The extracts are dissolved in methanol-water (1:4) and extracted by ethyl acetate after evaporation of the organic solvent, the residue is dissolved in methanol, and the terpenoids in the resultant solution are determined by means of HPLC on a C18 column with methanol-water (23:77) as an eluent. The recovery provided by the method is above 96.5%, and the minimum concentration that can be determined is 80 μg of terpenoid per gram of GBE. The method is suitable for GBE production process control.