Abstract: To establish a high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-TOF/MS) method for the identification of chemical ingredients in Gastrodia elata Blume,and to determine the content of gastrodin,p-hydroxybenzyl alcohol,p-hydroxybenz aldehyde,adenosine,parishin A and 4,4′-dihydroxydibenzyl ether.The analysis was performed on an Agilent 1120 system using a YMC-PEAK ODS-A column (250 mm × 4.6 mm,5 μm).The 6 components were separated in 80 min with gradient mobile phase consisting of 0.1% CH₃COOH-H₂O (A) and CH₃OH (B):0-5 min,5% B;5-65 min,5%-40% B;65-80 min,40%-100% B.Volume flow rate was 1 mL/min.The temperature was set at 25 ℃,and the injection volume was 50 μL.Ultimately,15 ingredients in G.elata was identified,in which the content of 6 components were determined by the developed HPLC-ESI-TOF/MS method.The results showed good linear relationship (r≥0.9991),the average recoveries were in the range of 94.90%-99.81% with RSD%<2.40.There were differences in the amounts of 6 components in different varieties of G.elata. The contents of 6 components in G.elata f.Elata is slightly higher than those in G.elata f.Glauca.In the same variety,the amounts of the 6 compounds in first grade herb were higher than in second grade.The developed HPLC-ESI-TOF/MS method was simple,sensitive and had good repeatability.

Key words: Gastrodia elata, HPLC-ESI-TOF/MS, gastrodin, p-hydroxybenzyl alcohol, parishin A, determination of content