Abstract:A ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric (UPLC-MS/MS) assay method has been developed and fully validated for the simultaneous quantification of lovastatin, simvastatin, mevastatin, lovastatin sodium hydroxide, dehydro lovastatin. The samples were extracted with methanol and separated on a Waters Acquity HSS T3 column. The mobile phase consisting of 0.1% aqueous formic acid solution and acetonitrile using gradient elution at a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. The positive and negative ions were scanned simultaneously. The multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode was used for detection. The results showed that the five compounds were separated well within five minutes. The limits of detection and the limits of quantification were 15 μg/kg and 50 μg/kg, respectively. The recoveries were between 94.6%~105.7%, and the relative standard deviation of the methods were lower than 10%. 17 batches of hypolipidemic health food were tested by this method, lovastatin, lovastatin sodium hydroxide salt and dehydro lovastatin were detected in one batch of samples. The method was simple, rapid, sensitive and accurate, and it was suitable for the rapid determination of lovastatin and its analogues in functional foods.