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Simultaneous separation of triterpenoid saponins and flavonoid glycosides from the roots of G lycyrrhiza uralensis F isch by p H ‐zone‐refining counter‐current chromatography
Author(s) -
Xu Jinfang,
Luo Jianguang,
Kong Lingyi
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of separation science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.72
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1615-9314
pISSN - 1615-9306
DOI - 10.1002/jssc.201300410
Subject(s) - chemistry , glycyrrhiza uralensis , glycoside , liquiritin , chromatography , flavonoid , saponin , countercurrent chromatography , glycyrrhiza , ethyl acetate , high performance liquid chromatography , organic chemistry , medicine , alternative medicine , pathology , antioxidant
Glycosides including triterpenoid saponins and flavonoid glycosides are the main constituents of G lycyrrhiza uralensis F isch (licorice) and exhibit prominent pharmacological activities. However, conventional methods for the separation of glycosides always cause irreversible adsorption and unavoidable loss of sample due to their high hydrophilicities. The present paper describes a convenient method for the simultaneous separation of triterpenoid saponins and flavonoid glycosides from licorice by pH‐zone‐refining counter‐current chromatography. Ethyl acetate/ n ‐butanol/water (2:3:5, v/v) with 10 mM TFA in the upper organic stationary phase and 10 mM ammonia in the lower aqueous mobile phase was used as the biphasic solvent system. Three triterpenoid saponins and two flavonoid glycosides including licorice‐saponin A3 (63.3 mg), glycyrrhizic acid (342.2 mg), 3‐ O ‐[ β ‐ d ‐glucuronopyranosyl‐(1 → 2)‐ β ‐ d ‐galactopyranosyl]glycyrrhetic acid (56.0 mg), liquiritin apioside (232.6 mg), and liquiritin (386.5 mg) were successfully obtained from licorice ethanol extract (2 g) in one step. This method subtly takes advantage of the common acidic properties of triterpenoid saponins and flavonoid glycosides, and obviously is much more efficient and convenient than the previous methods. It is also the first time that the separation of acidic triterpenoid saponins by using p H ‐zone‐refining counter‐current chromatography has been reported.