Objective: To established a simultaneously method to determine four kinds of tannins (gallic acid

catechin

tannic acid

ellagic acid) in leaf extracts of Sapium sebiferum. Method: Samples were detected on the ZORBAX Eclipse Plus C18 column (4.6 mm×250 mm

5 μm)

eluted with acetonitrile and 0.1% phosphoric acid as mobile phase in a gradient mode. The procedure was at column temperature of 25 ℃

detection wavelength of 270 nm and flow rate of 1 mL · min-1. Four tannins in leaf extracts of five S. sebiferum populations were then detected. Result: There were good linear relationships between the concentrations and the peak area of gallic acid

catechin

tannic acid

and ellagic acid in the ranges of 0.002-0.095 (r=0.997 1)

0.005-0.238 (r=0.999 7)

0.004-0.191 (r=0.999 2)

0.001-0.048 g · L-1(r=0.999 4)

respectively. The average recoveries were 97.4% with RSD of 2.0%

98.3% with RSD of 1.7%

98.7% with RSD of 1.6%

and 98.1% with RSD of 1.7%

respectively. The mean concentrations of gallic acid

catechin

tannic acid

and ellagic acid in leaf extracts of five S. sebiferum populations were 0.112

3.380 7

17.139 3

1.354 7 g · L-1

respectively. Conclusion: We found a simple

rapid and accurate method to simultaneously determine the concentrations of gallic acid

catechin

tannic acid

and ellagic acid in S. sebiferum leaves extracts within 30 minutes

and may provide methodological basis to the exploration of other plant resources that are rich in tannins.