Rapid and Sensitive Analysis of Eight Polyphenols in Tobacco by Rapid Resolution Liquid Chromatogarphy

A rapid resolution liquid chromatographic (RRLC) method for the determination of eight polyphenols in tobacco was developed. Polyphenols were extracted from tobacco samples by methanol/ water in an ultrasonic bath, then subjected to clean up by solid phase extraction. The separation was performed on a 50 × 4.6 mm, 1.8 μm ZORBAX Eclipse XDB-C18 column. Compared with conventional HPLC method, the analysis time for eight polyphenols by RRLC method was reduced from 20 to 5 min without sacrificing resolution, and the sensitivity was improved. This method appears simple, accurate and precious. The relative standard deviations (RSD) of overall analysis procedure for eight tobacco polyphenols were less than 2% with the recoveries ranging from 94% to 107%. This method could be applied to the rapid determination of major polyphenols in tobacco with satisfactory results.