Objective: To develop an HPLC method for the simultaneous determination of aloe-emodin and physcion in Wikstroemia indica. Method: Diamonsil C18column (4.6 mm×250 mm

5 μm) was eluted with the mobile phases of acetonitrile-0.10% phosphoric acid water in a gradient mode. The UV detection wavelength was 254 nm. The flow rate was 1.0 mL· min-1. The column temperature was set at 30 ℃

and the sample size was 20 μL. The difference in the content of aloe-emodin and physcion in W. indica from from ten origins was compared. Result: All of aloe-emodin and physcion samples showed a good linearity within the range of 1.584-25.34 mg·L-1(r=0.999 2)

1.598-25.57 mg· L-1(r=0.999 3)

respectively. The average recoveries were 100.2% and 99.7%

with RSD of 1.8% and 1.1%

respectively. There was a great difference in the content of aloe-emodin and physcion in W. indica of different origins. Specifically

W. indica from Shaoguang

Guangdong province

had the highest content of aloe-emodin but the lowest content of physcion;W. indica from Fuzhou

Fujian province

had the highest content of physcion but the lowest content of aloe-emodin.Aloe-emodin was not detected in 120724 W. indica from Zhejiang

and physcion was not detected from Anshun

Guizhou province. Conclusion: The method is simple

rapid and accurate and so can be applied for the quality control of W. indica.