Abstract: 【Objective】A reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) separation method with ultraviolet detector has been developed to determine the lactic acid , fumaric acid, 5-HMF and patulin in apple juice simultaneously. 【Method】The chromatographic analysis of lactic acid, fumaric acid, 5-HMF and patulin was carried out after their elution with phosphoric acid solution (pH 2.5) and acetonitrile from RP-C18 stationary phase. The mobile phase employed was phosphoric acid solution with 5% acetonitrile working at a flow-rate of 1.00 ml min-1 at 30℃ for the whole run. 【Result】Two organic acid acids were eluted in 10 min and were detected at 210nm .The other two things, which include 5-HMF and patulin, were eluted in the following 10 min and were detected at 276nm. The repeatability (n=3) and between day precision of peak area (n=3) were all within 0.1%RSD(relative standard deviation). The within-day repeatability (n=3) and between-day precision (n=10) of retention times were within 0.09 and 0.5%RSD, respectively. The accuracy of the method was confirmed with an average recovery ranging between 89.96 and 102%. 【Conclusion】 The method was successfully used to measure lactic acid , fumaric acid , 5-HMF and patulin in apple juices.

Key words: RP-HPLC, Lactic acid, Fumaric acid, 5-HMF, Patulin