Objective: To optimize extraction process of Pingchuan Futie plasters. Method: Taking composite score of extracting amounts of astragaloside

total polysaccharides

ephedrine hydrochloride and pseudoephedrine hydrochloride as index

based on single factor tests

effects of the amount of water

extraction time and times on extraction process was investigated by L9 (34) orthogonal test.HPLC-ELSD was adopted to determine the content of astragaloside with mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile-water(32:68).HPLC was adopted to determine contents of ephedrine hydrochloride and pseudoephedrine hydrochloride with mobile phase of acetonitrile-0.6% phosphoric acid(3:97) and detection wavelength at 208 nm.Phenol-sulfuric colorimetric method was used to determine the content of total polysaccharides. Result: A good linearity was obtained over concentration ranges of 1-17

0.2-2

0.1-1 μg for astragaloside

ephedrine hydrochloride and pseudoephedrine hydrochloride

respectively;while 3.27-7.63 mg·L-1 for total polysaccharides.Optimum process was adding 10 times amount of water for extracting three times

1.5 h each time;extracting amounts of astragaloside

total polysaccharides

ephedrine hydrochloride and pseudoephedrine hydrochloride were 0.204

0.900

1.063 g·g-1

respectively. Conclusion: This extraction process is simple and feasible with good repeatability

which can be effectively used to evaluate quality of Pingchuan Futie plasters.