Abstract: The flavonoids in Ricinus apelta Lour. from different habitats were isolated and identified, and the content determination method was established. Polyamide column was used to isolate and purify the flavonoids from Ricinus apelta by high performance liquid chromatography. The chemical constituents were identified by infrared, ultraviolet, mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and the contents of the four components were determined. The results showed that four flavonoids were isolated from the ethyl acetate extract of Ricinus apelta Lour., which were identified as cucurbitacin II, isoschaftoside, schaftoside and cosmoside. The baseline separation of the four components was achieved in the content determination, and the linear relationship was good at the levels of 0.010 3~0.824 0 mg/mL,0.014 2~1.139 2 mg/mL,0.013 3~1.064 0 mg/mL and 0.015 5~1.324 0 mg/mL,respectively. The average recovery was 98.41%, 100.03%, 99.25% and 98.78%, respectively, and RSD was 1.84%, 0.90%, 1.80% and 1.25%, respectively. Isoschaftoside and schaftoside were isolated from Ricinus apelta Lour. for the first time. The contents of four flavonoids in Chongzuo and Hezhou were higher in Ricinus apelta Lour. from seven different habitats in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The established content determination method is simple, rapid and stable, and can be used as an index for quality evaluation of Ricinus apelta Lour..

Key words: Ricinus apelta Lour., flavonoids, isolation and identification, popper analysis, content determination