Abstract: Gas chromatographic (GC) retention parameters (A and B values) for 24 volatile compounds in volatile oil of Acanthopanax senticosus (Rupr. Et Maxim) Harms were obtained from the retention times under five temperature-programming conditions with self-developed GC_AB software based on Levenberg-Marquardt method. The correlation analysis between A and B parameters of terpene and its oxides was carried out. Good linear relationships between A and B parameters were built for seven monoterpenes (C10H16), nine sesquiterpenes (C15H24), three monoterpene oxides (C10HnO) and three sesquiterpene oxides (C15HnOx) at the same carbon number, respectively. But poor A-B linearity was built for the group formed from monoterpenes and monoterpene oxides or that formed from sesquiterpenes and sesquiterpene oxides at the same carbon number. At the same time the A-B relationships for monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes and their oxides are not collinear. Therefore, this discipline is applied in the assistant identification for terpenes with different carbon numbers and in the classification between terpenes and their oxides. It shows that GC retention parameters calculated from retention times under several temperature-programming conditions are useful for the classification of monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes and their oxides in the analysis of volatile oils from traditional Chinese herbs.

Key words: Acanthopanax senticosus (Rupr. Et Maxim) Harms, classification, terpene, terpene oxide, volatile oil , gas chromatographic retention parameters