High-pressure liquid chromatographic analysis of sennosides A and B purgative drugs.

Procedures are described for the analysis of the main anthraquinone glycosides of senna powder, senna fruit tablets, and sennoside tablets by high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). In one HPLC analysis, TLC was used to separate the glycosides prior to elution on a strong anion-exchange column with 0.1 M ammonium nitrate solution (pH 9.0) as the mobile phase. In another HPLC analysis, separation was effected using a weak anion-exchange column with 0.1 M ammonium nitrate solution (pH 5.7A) as the mobile phase.