Objective: To develop a HPLC method to determine paeoniflorin in Paeonia delavayi var. lutea

and to investigate content of paeoniflorin in different parts of P. delavayi var. lutea. Method: The analysis was carried out at 30 ℃ on a TC-C18 column (4.6 mm×150 mm

5 μm) eluted with a mobile phase consisting of a mixture of acetonitrile-0.1% phosphoric acid (12∶88). The flow rate was 1.0 mL·min-1; and the detected wavelength was 235 nm. Result: The calibration curve was linear within the concentration ranges of 0.40-4.00 μg. The regression equation was A=1 095.3 C+31.608 (r=0.999 9). The average recovery was 100.59%

while RSD was 1.66%. The concentration distribution of paeoniflorin in different parts of P. delavayi var. lutea is as follows: fruit>leaf>cork>cortex>stem>xylem. Conclusion: This method is simple

accurate and with good repeatability. The paeoniflorin can be selected as a quality control component in P. delavayi var. lutea.