Objective: To establish a new method for determination of sanguinarine and chelerythrine in Macleaya microcarpa (Maxim). Method : Sanguinarine and chelerythrine in Macleaya microcarpa were determined by using high performance capillary electrophoresis (HPCE) with berberine as internal standard. The background electrolyte system selected was 25 mmol ·L-1 disodium hydrogen phosphate and 25 mmol ·L-1 sodium dihydrogen phosphate buffer at pH=7-methanol (2.5 ∶1); applied voltage

18 kV; temperature

25 ℃. Diode array detector was set at 200 nm. Result : The linear range of sanguinarine and chelerythrine was 0.012 4-0.082 8 g ·L-1 (r=0.999 8) and 0.018 8-0.125 6 g ·L-1 (r=0.999 6)

The average recovery was 98.7% (RSD 1.01%) and 98.4% (RSD 1.27%). Conclusion : The method is simple

rapid and reproducible

and could be used for content determination of sanguinarine and chelerythrine In Macleaya microcarpa .