Abstract: The ultrasonic nebulization extraction(UNE) was developed and applied to the extraction of volatile components from traditional Chinese patent medicine Xiaoyao Pills. Several parameters of ultrasonic nebulization extraction including the sample particle size, solvent volume, extraction time and ultrasonic power were studied and selected. As a result, 2.4 g of sample with particle size of 80 mesh was extracted with 15 mL of n-hexane for 20 min at an ultrasonic power of 35 W. The volatile components were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) under the optimal conditions and 57 compounds were identified. The precision, repeatability and stability of the proposed method were also studied. Compared with ultrasonic-assisted extraction(UAE) and hydrodistillation(HD) extraction, the proposed method is more efficient, faster and easier to be operated at room temperature with smaller sample and energy consumption. It is suggested that the ultrasonic nebulization extraction can be used as a novel alternative method for the extraction of volatile components from traditional Chinese patent medicine.

Key words: Ultrasonic nebulization extraction, Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, Volatile component, Traditional Chinese patent medicine