Microwave‐assisted extraction followed by RP‐HPLC for the simultaneous extraction and determination of forsythiaside A,rutin, and phillyrin in the fruits of Forsythia suspensa

An optimized microwave‐assisted extraction (MAE) method and RP‐HPLC method were developed for the simultaneous extraction and determination of rutin, forsythiaside A, and phillyrin in the fruits of Forsythia suspensa. The key parameters of the open‐vessel MAE process were optimized. A mixed solvent of methanol and water (70:30, v/v) was most suitable for the simultaneous extraction of the three components. The sample was soaked for 10 min before extraction. The optimized conditions were: microwave power 400 W, temperature 70°C, solvent‐to‐material ratio 30 mL/g, and extraction time 1 min. Compared to conventional extraction methods, the proposed method can simultaneously extract the three components in high yields and was proved to be a more rapid method with a lower solvent consumption. The optimized HPLC–photodiode array detection analysis was validated to have good linearity, precision, accuracy, and sensitivity. The developed MAE followed by RP‐HPLC is a fast and appropriate method for the simultaneous extraction and determination of rutin, forsythiaside A, and phillyrin in the fruits of F. suspensa.