Abstract: Three chlorogenic acid isomers, namely, neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid, and cryptochlorogenic acid in the flowers, branches, and leaves of Prunus mume were simultaneously determine by a HPLC method. The samples were separated by a Luna C18 column using 2% acetic acid and acetonitrile as a mixed mobile phase. The detection wavelength was 328 nm. The analytical method displayed a wide linear range of 5 to 200μg/mL for the three chlorogenic acid isomers. The detection limits were 0.21, 0.16μg/mL and 0.29μg/mL for neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid, and cryptochlorogenic acid, respectively. The contents of total chlorogenic acid isomers were (48.26 ± 0.11), (10.82 ± 0.04) mg/g, and (21.33 ± 0.08) mg/g in the flowers, branches and leaves of Prunus mume, respectively. In conclusion, this method is simple, rapid, accurate and sensitive, and Prunus mume is a good source of chlorogenic acids.

Key words: Prunus mume, HPLC, neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid