[Methodological study on quality evaluation of rhubarb based on purgative bioassay].
OBJECTIVE
To establish a method suitable to determine the purgative biopotency of rhubarb and construct a new quality evaluation pattern of rhubarb.


METHODS
A series of factors such as observation index (mass of feces in 10 hours), animal strain (ICR mice), sex (male) and the dose of diphenoxylate complex (50 mg x kg(-1)) was investigated and fixed. The purgative biopotency as well as anthraquinone determination was used to evaluate the quality of different rhubarb samples.


RESULTS
There wasn't a good linear relationship between the purgative biopotency and content of anthraquinone. The quality difference of rhubarb samples could be well characterized by combination of purgative biopotency determination and anthraquinone determination.


CONCLUSIONS
The purgative biopotency determination can be used in quality control and evaluation of rhubarb.
Li
Hui-Fang
HF
Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, 302 Hospital of PLA, Beijing 100039, China.
Wang
Jia-Bo
JB
Qu
Yi
Y
Jin
Cheng
C
Wang
Qiang
Q
Xiao
Xiao-He
XH
Li
Zu-Lun
ZL
D000818:Animals; D000880:Anthraquinones / Q000032:analysis; D001681:Biological Assay; D002400:Cathartics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D011786:Quality Control; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012250:Rheum / Q000737:chemistry*; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors
D000880:Anthraquinones; D002400:Cathartics; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal