Objective: To develop a method using pre-column derivation and high-performance capillary electrophoresis for determining amino acids content in pheretima. Method: Pheretima

a kind of Chinese medicinal material was firstly treated with water boiling

and then hydrolyzed by hydrochloride acid. The hydrolysate of amino acids in pheretima was derived by Waters AccQ-Fluor reagent. The amino acids in pheretima were identified and quantified with the method of high-performance capillary electrophoresis. Result: The optimized CZE conditions were as follows: a running buffer composed of 25 mmol· L-1 H3PO4-Na2HPO4 (pH 2)

separation voltage at 20 kV

temperature at 25 centigrade

injection time for 4 sec with 0.5 psi pressure. 15 kinds of amino acids in pheretima were determined within 16 minutes. The separation effect of amino acids was perfect and the linear relationship was good in the range of 15.625-250 μmol· L-1 amino acids concentration. The results showed that there was relative high content of Glu

Ile/Leu

Gly

Ala and low content of His

Tyr in pheretima of Chinese medicinal material. And Asp was not detected. Conclusion: The present established method of AQC derivation and high-performance capillary electrophoresis is simple

rapid and suitable for determination of amino acids in animal medicinal materials.