SANGUINARINE ANALYSIS BY HPLC 285 Table IV Stability of Sanguinarine in Toothpaste (ambient temperature) Containing 750 •tg/g Sanguinaria Extract Equivalent to Theoretical Input Levels of 225 •tg/g Sanguinarine Time Elapsed (weeks) Sanguinarine (•tg/g) 0 174.8 2 163.3 12 167.6 16 154.4 28 158.4 alkaloids in the extract, chelirubine (A), sanguirubine (C), chelilutine (D), cheler- ythrine (E), and sanguilutine (F), are given under Figure 1. The method was utilized to verify sanguinarine levels in the oral rinse* and toothpaste* in order to assess shelf life stability. The results from oral rinse (Table II) suggest that sanguinarine had a 2.3% loss in content in unopened bottles over the 31-month period in which the test was conducted. Accelerated stability studies at 40øC for three months, but not reported here, indicate that the sanguinaria stability was sufficient for at least a three-year shelf life. In shelf life testing conducted on a silica and dicalcium phosphate abrasive toothpaste formula containing sanguinarine (Table III), it was found that a 9.4% decrease in san- guinarine content occurred over 28 weeks (Table IV). Accelerated stability testing at 40øC for three months, not reported here, indicates that sanguinarine stability was sufficient for at least a two-year shelf life. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION A method of analyzing sanguinarine in the dried rhizomes of Sanguinaria canadensis, sanguinaria extract, and oral care products has been reported and its application to quality control and stability of oral hygiene products containing sanguinaria extract demonstrated. REFERENCES (1) American Pharmaceutical Association, National Formulary, Rev. 7, Washington, DC, American Pharmaceutical Association, pp 191, 368, 416 (1940). (2) V. O. Homerberg and A.M. Beringer, An assay for sanguinaria, American Journal Pharmaceutical, 85, 395-397 (1913). (3) S. A. E. Hakim, V. Mijovic, and J. Walker, Distribution of certain poppy-fumaria alkaloids and a possible link with the incidence of glaucoma, Nature 189, 198-201 (1961). (4) S. A. E. Hakim, V. Mijovic, and J. Walker, Experimental transmission of sanguinarine in milk, Nature, 189, 201-204 (1961). * Viadent ©, a subsidiary of Vipont Laboratories, Inc., 220 East Olive Street, Fort Collins, CO 80524.

286 JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS (5) S. A. E. Hakim, Poppy alkaloids and glaucoma, J. Physiol., 138, 40P (1957). (6) P. Balderstone and S. F. Dyke, Detection and quantitative analysis of sanguinarine in edible oils, J. Chromatography, 132, 359-362 (1977). (7) G. L. Southard, R. T. Boulware, D. R. Walborn, W. J. Groznik, E. M. Thorne, and S. L. Yan- kell, Sanguinarine, a new antiplaque agent: Retention and plaque specificity, J. Am. Dent. Assoc., 108, 338-341 (1984). (8) B. D. Krane, M. O. Fagbule, and M. Shamma. The benzophenanthridine alkaloids, J. Nat. Prod., 47, 1-43 (1984). (9) B. C. Bennett, R. T. Boulware, and C. R. Bell, Variation in sanguinarine content in natural popula- tions, Botanical Society of America, Abstract No. 205 (1984).