Search

Lignans are widespread polyphenolic secondary plant metabolites possessing high biological activity. One of the most promising industrial-scale sources of such compounds is coniferous knotwood, containing a large number of polyphenolic compounds. Their use in pharmaceutical and other industries is limited by the difficulty in obtaining high-purity preparations from plant material and the requirement of advanced separation techniques. In this study, supercritical fluid chromatography on polar stationary phases was proposed for the efficient separation and identification of spruce, pine, fir, and larch knotwood extractives. Among the six tested sorbents, the best results were shown by silica with grafted diol and 2-ethylpyridine groups under conditions of gradient elution with a carbon dioxide–methanol mobile phase, which ensured the efficient retention and separation of analytes due to donor–acceptor interactions. Scaling up the method on a DIOL stationary phase provided a semi-preparative separation of extractives within 30 min to obtain 14 individual compounds with a purity of 90–99% and yields from 0.3 to 51% of the dry extract. These included eight lignans (nortrachelogenin, matairesinol, oxomatairesinol, α-conidendrin, 5-hydroxymatairesinol and its isomer, lariciresinol, and secoisolariciresinol), two oligolignans, three stilbenes (pinosylvin and its methyl ester, pterostilbene), and flavonoid taxifolin. The developed approach is distinguished with low operational costs, low consumption of organic solvents, environmental safety, and it is fully consistent with the principles of green chemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A loading and productivity study was done using three racemates on vancomycin and teicoplanin‐bonded chiral stationary phases of different particle formats. Two columns were packed with 2.7 μm superficially porous particles and two columns were packed with identically bonded 5 μm fully porous particles. The last two columns were packed with specially synthesized 4.5 μm vancomycin and teicoplanin superficially porous particles. The loading of different chiral compounds showed that the columns filled with 2.7‐μm chiral stationary phases were inappropriate for preparative separations due to their very low permeability which precluded high flow rates. However, columns containing 4.5 μm superficially porous (core‐shell) particles were as effective for small‐scale preparative chiral separations as columns filled with classical 5 μm fully porous particles. Comparing the 4.5 μm superficially porous particles and 5 μm fully porous particles teicoplanin columns, the observed respective productivities of 270 and 265 mg/g chiral phase/h for 5‐methyl‐5‐phenyl hydantoin enantiomers were obtained. Particular attention was given to the peculiar case of the mianserin enantiomeric separation on vancomycin columns that gave observed productivities of 200 and 205 mg/g chiral phase/h on the 4.5 μm superficially porous particles and 5 μm fully porous particles, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, a green and efficient ultrasonic-assisted extraction method of polyphenols from Hibiscus manihot L. flowers (HMLF) was performed, and the corresponding experimental parameters were optimized by Taguchi OA Design. Meanwhile, a two-step high-speed counter-current chromatography coupled with macroporous resin was successfully established with the optimal two-phase solvent systems comprising EtOAc-MeOH-H2O (100:3:100, v/v/v) and Hex-EtOAc-MeOH-H2O (1:5:1:5, v/v/v/v) to isolate and prepare eight polyphenols with purities exceeding 95%, including two phenolic acids and six flavonoids, respectively. The yield of the isolated polyphenols was determined to be 50.4 mg from the enriched extract in a single run. Moreover, the interactions of the eight isolated compounds with AChE and BuChE were explicitly evaluated and described by molecular docking. This study confirms that the proposed method is a cost-effective and powerful strategy for the scaled-up extraction and preparative separation of the high-purity polyphenols from HMLF, and provides an opportunity for automation and systematic preparation of natural products used in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

The development of Dai medicine is relatively slow, and Zanthoxylum has great economic and medicinal value. It is still difficult to obtain medicinal components from the low-polarity parts of Zanthoxylum belonging to Dai medicine. In this study, we introduced one simple and quick strategy of separating target compounds from the barks of Z. acanthopodium var. timbor by high-performance countercurrent chromatography (HPCCC) with an off-line anti-inflammatory activity screening mode. The development of this strategy was based on the TLC-based generally useful estimation of solvent systems (GUESS) method and HPCCC in combination. This paper presented a rapid method for obtaining target anti-inflammatory compounds. Three lignins were enriched by HPCCC with an off-line inhibition mode of nitric oxide production in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage cells, using petroleum ether–ethyl acetate–methanol–water (3:2:3:2) as the solvent system. The results showed that this method was simple and practical and could be applied to trace the anti-inflammatory components of the low-polarity part in Dai medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dracocephalum heterophyllum Benth is well-known for its ability to alleviate liver heat. In this study, Dracocephalum heterophyllum Benth ethyl acetate extracts were evaluated on mouse models of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and liver fibrosis. After 6 and 8 weeks of treatment, serum parameters and gene expressions in tissue samples, as well as stained tissue sections, demonstrated that the ethyl acetate extracts were effective in treating these liver diseases. The principal bioactive constituent (rosmarinic acid) was identified and screened by high pressure liquid chromatography-1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl and affinity ultrafiltration-HPLC. The rosmarinic acid was separated from extracts with high purity by medium- and high-pressure liquid chromatography. Finally, the interactions between rosmarinic acid and the key targets of lipid metabolism, oxidative stress and inflammation were verified by molecular docking. Thereby, an indirect regulation of lipid and cholesterol metabolism and inhibition of liver inflammation and liver fibrosis by the studied extract has been observed. This study demonstrated that Dracocephalum heterophyllum Benth ethyl acetate extracts have the potential to treat nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and liver fibrosis, revealing their multi-target and multi-pathway therapeutic characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lignans are widespread polyphenolic secondary plant metabolites possessing high biological activity. One of the most promising industrial-scale sources of such compounds is coniferous knotwood, containing a large number of polyphenolic compounds. Their use in pharmaceutical and other industries is limited by the difficulty in obtaining high-purity preparations from plant material and the requirement of advanced separation techniques. In this study, supercritical fluid chromatography on polar stationary phases was proposed for the efficient separation and identification of spruce, pine, fir, and larch knotwood extractives. Among the six tested sorbents, the best results were shown by silica with grafted diol and 2-ethylpyridine groups under conditions of gradient elution with a carbon dioxide–methanol mobile phase, which ensured the efficient retention and separation of analytes due to donor–acceptor interactions. Scaling up the method on a DIOL stationary phase provided a semi-preparative separation of extractives within 30 min to obtain 14 individual compounds with a purity of 90–99% and yields from 0.3 to 51% of the dry extract. These included eight lignans (nortrachelogenin, matairesinol, oxomatairesinol, α-conidendrin, 5-hydroxymatairesinol and its isomer, lariciresinol, and secoisolariciresinol), two oligolignans, three stilbenes (pinosylvin and its methyl ester, pterostilbene), and flavonoid taxifolin. The developed approach is distinguished with low operational costs, low consumption of organic solvents, environmental safety, and it is fully consistent with the principles of green chemistry.

Saxifraga atrata is an important traditional Tibetan medicine used to treat cough and pneumonia, and has tremendous medicinal potential. In this study, we devised a technique to separate 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl inhibitors from a methanol extract of S. atrata. The material was first processed using MCI GEL CHP20P medium‐pressure liquid chromatography, yielding 1.1 g of the target fraction Fr2. Subsequently, online hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography‐1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl assay was used to identify prospective 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl inhibitors, and two 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl inhibitor fractions (Fr24 and Fr25) were identified from Fr2. Then, medium‐pressure preparation was continued using an XIon column to separate two 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl inhibitor fractions (Fr24 and Fr25). The target compound was concentrated in fractions Fr24 and Fr25 using reverse‐phase liquid chromatography during further separation procedures. Finally, the purity, structure, and 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl inhibitory activity of the isolated 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl inhibitors were determined. Two 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl inhibitors (adenosine with the half maximal inhibitory concentration of 66.87 ± 14.33 μM and (‐)‐4‐O‐(E)‐caffeoyl‐l‐threonic acid with the half maximal inhibitory concentration of 59.06 ± 5.02 μM) were isolated with purities exceeding 95%. The results showed that this technology is effective in the targeted separation of antioxidants from natural products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preparative chromatographic enantioseparation is now the preferred technique for obtaining milligram quantities of pure enantiomers in the initial phase of development of a therapeutic compound. Supercritical fluid chromatography offers several advantages over liquid chromatography and was therefore selected for the preparative enantioseparation of a new potential anti-inflammatory molecule. Approximately 10 mg of each of the two enantiomers was successfully prepared using a Chiralpak AD-H (tris-3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate of amylose) polysaccharide-based stationary phase with 40% of ethanol as a co-solvent, using a stacked injection mode. A peak distortion was observed during volume overloading, which may be due to the mixed-stream injection method., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Copyright of Chinese Journal of Applied Entomology is the property of Chinese Journal of Applied Entomology, Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The development of Dai medicine is relatively slow, and Zanthoxylum has great economic and medicinal value. It is still difficult to obtain medicinal components from the low-polarity parts of Zanthoxylum belonging to Dai medicine. In this study, we introduced one simple and quick strategy of separating target compounds from the barks of Z. acanthopodium var. timbor by high-performance countercurrent chromatography (HPCCC) with an off-line anti-inflammatory activity screening mode. The development of this strategy was based on the TLC-based generally useful estimation of solvent systems (GUESS) method and HPCCC in combination. This paper presented a rapid method for obtaining target anti-inflammatory compounds. Three lignins were enriched by HPCCC with an off-line inhibition mode of nitric oxide production in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage cells, using petroleum ether–ethyl acetate–methanol–water (3:2:3:2) as the solvent system. The results showed that this method was simple and practical and could be applied to trace the anti-inflammatory components of the low-polarity part in Dai medicine.

Phenolic acids are the main active components in Salvia yunnanensis Radix, which have significant effects such as cardiovascular protection, anti‐thrombosis, anti‐oxidant, and anti‐inflammation. In this study, pH‐zone‐refining counter‐current chromatography (pH‐ZRCCC) was successfully applied to the preparative separation of phenolic acids from S. yunnanensis Radix. First, a two‐phase solvent system composed of Pet–EtOAc–ACN–H2O (1.5:2.5:1:5, v/v) [TFA (10 mM) was added in the upper phase and NH3·H2O (30 mM) was added in the lower phase] was used for the separation of 4.0 g of the crude sample to obtain 55.6 mg of rosmarinic acid (1), 69.0 mg of caffeic acid (2), 18.9 mg of protocatechualdehyde (3), 14.6 mg of 8‐epiblechnic acid 9‐methyl ester (4), and a mixture containing two compounds. After the recovery, 1.3 g of the mixture was obtained and separated using the MtBE–H2O (1:1, v/v) solvent system containing TFA (5 mM) and NH3·H2O (60 mM) to obtain 259.9 mg of salvianolic acid B (5) and 28.75 mg of lithospermic acid (6). Moreover, a systematic separation pattern for separating the relatively low‐polarity phenolic acids from natural products by pH‐ZRCCC was summarized for the first time. This study provided technical support for the pharmacological activity and quality control research of S. yunnanensis Radix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dracocephalum heterophyllum Benth is well-known for its ability to alleviate liver heat. In this study, Dracocephalum heterophyllum Benth ethyl acetate extracts were evaluated on mouse models of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and liver fibrosis. After 6 and 8 weeks of treatment, serum parameters and gene expressions in tissue samples, as well as stained tissue sections, demonstrated that the ethyl acetate extracts were effective in treating these liver diseases. The principal bioactive constituent (rosmarinic acid) was identified and screened by high pressure liquid chromatography-1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl and affinity ultrafiltration-HPLC. The rosmarinic acid was separated from extracts with high purity by medium- and high-pressure liquid chromatography. Finally, the interactions between rosmarinic acid and the key targets of lipid metabolism, oxidative stress and inflammation were verified by molecular docking. Thereby, an indirect regulation of lipid and cholesterol metabolism and inhibition of liver inflammation and liver fibrosis by the studied extract has been observed. This study demonstrated that Dracocephalum heterophyllum Benth ethyl acetate extracts have the potential to treat nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and liver fibrosis, revealing their multi-target and multi-pathway therapeutic characteristics.

Two antimalaria alkaloids, febrifugine and isofebrifugine, were successfully separated from total alkaloids of Dichroa febrifuga roots by one‐step preparative countercurrent chromatography with a selected biphasic solvent system. The selected biphasic solvent system was composed of chloroform: methanol: water (2:1:1, v/v) according to partition performance of the two target components. Selection of biphasic solvent system was conducted by high performance liquid chromatography combined with high performance thin layer chromatography, which greatly assisted the screening procedure for biphasic solvent system. Totally, 50 mg of total alkaloid was separated by one‐step preparative countercurrent chromatography, yielding 12 mg of febrifugine and 9 mg of isofebrifugine with more than 98.0% purity, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present aspects of emerging optical activity in thin racemic 1,1′‐Bi‐2‐naphthol films upon irradiation with circularly polarized light and subsequent resonant two‐photon absorption in the sample. Thorough analysis of the sample morphology is conducted by means of (polarization‐resolved) optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The influence of crystallization on the nonlinear probing technique (second harmonic generation circular dichroism [SHG‐CD]) is investigated. Optical activity and crystallization are brought together by a systematic investigation in different crystallization regimes. We find crystallization to be responsible for two counter‐acting effects, which arise for different states of crystallization. Measuring crystallized samples offers the best signal‐to‐noise ratio, but it limits generation of optical activity due to self‐assembly effects. For suppression of crystallization on the other hand, there is a clear indication that enantiomeric selective desorption is responsible for the generation of optical activity in the sample. We reach the current resolution limit of probing with SHG‐CD, as we suppress the crystallization in the racemic sample during desorption. In addition, intensity‐dependent measurements on the induced optical activity reveal an onset threshold (≈0.7 TW cm−2), above which higher order nonlinear processes impair the generation of optical activity by desorption with CPL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Positively charged reversed‐phase liquid chromatography was employed for the efficient preparative separation of isoquinoline alkaloids from Corydalis impatiens. Ten commercially available columns were compared for isoquinoline alkaloids analysis. While tailing, overloading, lower resolution, and buffer salts limited the application in purification of isoquinoline compounds of many of these columns, one positively charged reversed‐phase C18 column (XCharge C18) overcame these drawbacks, allowing for favorable separation resolution, even when loading isoquinoline compounds on a larger, preparative scale. The general separation process is as follows. First, isoquinoline alkaloids are enriched with Corydalis impatiens extract via a middle chromatogram isolated gel column. After column selection, separation is performed on an XCharge C18 analytical column, from which two evident chromatographic peaks are readily obtained. Finally, two isoquinoline alkaloids (protopine and corydamine) are selectively purified on the XCharge C18 preparative column. These results demonstrate that a middle chromatogram isolated gel column coupled with positively charged reversed‐phase liquid chromatography is effective for the preparative separation of isoquinoline alkaloids from Corydalis impatiens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pterocephalus hookeri, as a kind of popular traditional Tibetan medicine, is reputed to treat inflammatory related diseases. In the present work, a cyclooxygenase-2 functionalized affinity solid-phase extraction HPLC system was developed and combined with preparative-HPLC for rapidly screening and separating cyclooxygenase-2 ligand from P. hookeri extracts. Firstly, ligands of cyclooxygenase-2 were screened from extracts by affinity solid-phase extraction HPLC system. Then directed by the screening results, the recognized potential active compounds were targeted separated. As a result, the major cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor of P. hookeri was obtained with a purity of >95%, which was identified as sylvestroside I. To test the accuracy of this method, the anti-inflammatory activity of sylvestroside I was inspected in lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW 264.7 cells. The results show that sylvestroside I significantly suppressed the release of prostaglandin E2 with dose-dependent, which was in good agreement with the screening result of the affinity solid-phase method. This method of integration of screening and targeted separation proved to be very efficient for the recognition and isolation of cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors from natural products.

Iridoid glycosides are highly polar compounds in Lonicerae japonicae Flos which possesses many bioactivities such as anti-hepatitis, anti-inflammation, and anti-tumor, so establishment of an efficient method for purifying them is necessary. In this study, the effects of three factors including salt concentration, acid–base property, and ionic radius of inorganic salts on the partition of iridoid glycosides in the high-polarity two-phase solvent systems of high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) were discussed according to salting-out extraction theory. The results showed that all of the above three factors have significant adjustment effects on the partition of iridoid glycosides in the solvent systems. Subsequently, the high-polarity two-phase solvent systems composed of n-butanol:50% ammonium sulfate solution:water (3:2:2, v/v/v) and n-butanol:acetonitrile:10% sodium sulfate solution:water (3:1:2.4:2, v/v/v/v) were selected for iridoid glycosides separation using HSCCC. Five iridoid glycosides including secologanoside, vogeloside, sweroside, secoxyloganin, and demethylsecologanol were obtained from L. japonica Flos extracts, all compound purities were over 98%. All results demonstrated that the high-polarity solvent system with addition of inorganic salt is an effective method for separation of highly polar compounds from natural products by HSCCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract—Preparative separation of enantiomers is one of the most common applications of supercritical fluid technologies in modern production practice. In this review, methods for the preparative separation of enantiomers of pharmaceutical substances in which a 1,2-aminoalcohol moiety is present are provided, using supercritical fluid chromatography. The types of chiral phases used in supercritical fluid chromatography are also considered in brief. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We established a two‐dimensional strong cation exchange/reversed‐phase liquid chromatography protocol to isolate and purify isoquinoline alkaloids from Corydalis impatiens. Isoquinoline alkaloids were first enriched from a C. impatiens extract in which liposoluble components were removed using a medium‐pressure chromatographic tower containing middle chromatogram isolated gel. A strong cation exchange column was employed to separate and obtain 30 fractions. We chose fractions 22–29 for reversed‐phase liquid chromatography purification using characteristic isoquinoline alkaloid ultraviolet absorption spectra. Several isoquinoline alkaloid fractions (22–29) were further separated, and those of low resolution were isolated via two‐dimensional liquid chromatography in the orthogonal plane. A total of eight novel isoquinoline alkaloids with characteristic ultraviolet spectra were obtained from C. impatiens. We thus demonstrate the benefits of off‐line two‐dimensional strong cation exchange/reversed‐phase liquid chromatography to isolate isoquinoline alkaloids from C. impatiens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Generic ion-exchange method for analytical and preparative separation of nucleotides. • Chromatographic resolution of over 20 nucleotides in a single experimental run. • The use of a cost-effective resin available in bulk format for preparative separation is demonstrated. • Aqueous ammonium bicarbonate-based eluent profile allows convenient drying process. • Fully implemented for preparative separation of nucleotides in multicomponent reaction mixtures. Abstract Nucleotides are among the most frequently used chemical building blocks in the research, development and manufacture of drug substances. They are composed of three highly polar subunit molecules (a nucleobase, a sugar, and at least one phosphate group), which makes their separation and analysis very challenging by conventional liquid chromatography techniques. Herein, we describe a simple, efficient, and cost-effective ion-exchange chromatography (IEC) method for the separation and purification of over 20 nucleotides. This method combines the use of a Tosoh TSKgel SuperQ-5P W resin in conjunction with a fully aqueous eluent profile (ammonium bicarbonate-based) that allows for a straightforward scale-up transition and convenient drying process with minimal environmental impact. This generic method was optimized using chromatography simulation software (ACD Labs/LC Simulator) and successfully applied to the preparative purification of multicomponent nucleotide mixtures using readily available Fast Protein Liquid Chromatography (FPLC) instrumentation. These IEC method conditions can be effectively applied as the starting point for method development and isolation of other highly polar nucleotide species beyond those investigated in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parishins are high‐polarity and major bioactive constituents in Gastrodia elata Blume. In this study, the effect of several inorganic salts on the partition of parishins in two‐phase solvent systems was investigated. Adding ammonium sulfate, which has a higher solubility in water, was found to significantly promote the partition of parishins in the upper organic polar solvents. Based on the results, a two‐phase solvent system composed of butyl alcohol/acetonitrile/near‐saturated ammonium sulfate solution/water (1.5:0.5:1.2:1, v/v/v/v) was used for the purification of parishins by high‐speed counter‐current chromatography. Fractions obtained from high‐speed counter‐current chromatography were subjected to semi‐preparative high‐performance liquid chromatography to remove salt and impurities. As a result, parishin E (6.0 mg), parishin B (7.8 mg), parishin C (3.2 mg), gastrodin (15.3 mg), and parishin A (7.3 mg) were isolated from water extract of Gastrodia elata Blume (400 mg). These results demonstrated that adding inorganic salt that has high solubility in water to the two‐phase solvent system in high‐speed counter‐current chromatography was a suitable approach for the purification of high‐polarity compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anisodamine (654‐1), a well‐known cholinergic antagonist, is marketed as synthetic anisodamine (mixture of four isomers, 654‐2) in China. To preparative resolution and comparison of the bioactivities of the four isomers of synthetic anisodamine, current work explores an economic and effective separation method by using preparative high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and diastereomer crystallization. Their absolute configurations were established by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction and circular dichroism method. The purities of each isomer were more than 95%. Among them, 654‐2‐A2 (6R, 2′S configuration) exhibited better effect on cabachol preconditioned small intestine tension more than 654‐2 and other isomers. The direct separation method without using HPLC was tried as well, which was still on progress. This is the first report of the method for preparative separation of four isomers of synthetic anisodamine which could be used for large‐scale production in industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To provide further insight into the antioxidant potential of procyanidins (PCs) from cocoa beans, PC extract was fractionated by several methodologies, including solid phase extraction, Sephadex LH-20 gel permeation, and preparative HPLC using C18 and diol stationary phases. All the isolated fractions were analyzed by UHPLC-QTOF-MS to determine their relative composition. According to our results, classical techniques allowed good separation of alkaloids, catechins, dimers, and trimers, but were inefficient for oligomeric PCs. Preparative C18-HPLC method allowed the attainment of high relative composition of fractions enriched with alkaloids, catechins, and PCs with degree of polymerization (DP) < 4. However, the best results were obtained by preparative diol-HPLC, providing a separation according to the increasing DP. According to the mass spectrometry fragmentation pattern, the nine isolated fractions (Fractions II–X) consisted of exclusively individual PCs and their corresponding isomers (same DP). In summary, an efficient, robust, and fast method using a preparative diol column for the isolation of PCs is proposed. Regarding DPPH• and ABTS•+ scavenging activity, it increases according to the DP; therefore, the highest activity was for cocoa extract > PCs > monomers. Thereby, cocoa procyanidins might be of interest to be used as alternative antioxidants.

Lignans, which are recognized as main constituents in Justicia procumbens, have attracted considerable attention due to their pharmacological activities, including antitumor, anti-hepatitic, cytotoxic, anti-microbial, and anti-virus properties. Preparative high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) was successfully applied to the isolation and purification of four lignans (justicidin B (1), justicidin A (2), 6'-hydroxyjusticidin C (3) and lignan J1 (4)) from J. procumbens using stepwise elution with a pair of two-phase solvent systems composed of n-hexane–ethyl acetate–methanol–water at (1.3:1:1.3:1, v/v) and (2.5:1:2.5:1, v/v). The preparative HSCCC separation was performed on 300 mg of crude sample yielding compounds 1 (19.7 mg), 2 (9.86 mg), 3 (11.26 mg), and 4 (2.54 mg) in a one-step separation, with purities over 95% as determined by HPLC. The structures of these compounds were identified by MS, 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR. This is the first report on the application of HSCCC to the efficient separation of lignans from J. procumbens.

Highlights • Three dicaffeoylquinic acid isomers were separated from Lonicerae japonicae Flos. • An efficient method for separation of CQAs using pH-ZRCCC was established. • A strategy to optimize pH-ZRCCC solvent system with high sample loading capacity. Abstract Caffeoylquinic acid derivatives exhibit anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial activities. We successfully applied pH-zone-refining counter-current chromatography (pH-ZRCCC) to separation of isomeric caffeoylquinic acids from Lonicerae japonicae Flos using a two-phase solvent system composed of ethyl acetate– n -butanol–acetonitrile–water (3:1:1:5, v/v/v/v). Trifluoroacetic acid (10 mM) was added to the upper phase as a retainer and ammonium hydroxide (10 mM) was added to the lower phase as an eluter. As a result, 167.8 mg of chlorogenic acid, 15.9 mg of isochlorogenic acid B, 103.4 mg of isochlorogenic acid C, and 156.0 mg of isochlorogenic acid A were obtained from 1.2 g of crude extract, and all compound purities were over 96%. In addition, by comparing the numeric values of partition coefficient of compounds, it was found that larger differences between the K values of adjacent compounds in the solvent systems resulted in higher sample loading capacities. pH-ZRCCC method is an efficient preparative separation of isomeric caffeoylquinic acids from natural products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silver ion chromatography, utilizing columns packed with silver ions bonded to silica gel, has proved to be an invaluable technique for the analysis of some positional isomers. In this work, silver ion chromatography by combination with online heart-cutting LC-LC technique for the preparative separation of two sesquiterpenes positional isomers from a natural product was investigated. On the basis of the evaluation that silver ion content impacts on the separation, the laboratory-made silver ion columns, utilizing silica gel impregnated with 15% silver nitrate as column packing materials, were used for peak resolution improvement of these two isomers and the preparative separation of them in heart-cutting LC-LC. The relationship among the maximal sample load, flow rate and peak resolution in the silver ion column were optimized, and the performance of the silver ion column was compared with conventional C 18 column and silica gel column. Based on the developed chromatographic conditions, online heart-cutting LC-LC chromatographic separation system in combination with a silica gel column and a silver ion column that was applied to preparative separation of these two isomers from a traditional Chinese medicine, Inula racemosa Hook.f., was established. The results showed that the online heart-cutting LC-LC technique by combination of a silica gel column and a silver ion column for the preparative separation of these two positional isomers from this natural plant was superior to the preparative separation performed on a single-column system with C 18 column or silica gel column. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contamination of foods and animal feeds with trichothecene mycotoxins is a growing concern for human and animal health. As such, large quantities of pure trichothecene mycotoxins are necessary for food safety monitoring and toxicological research. A new and effective method for the purification of trichothecene mycotoxins from a marine fungus, Fusarium sp. LS68, is described herein. Preparative high-speed countercurrent chromatography (HSCCC) was utilized for the scalable isolation and purification of four trichothecene mycotoxins for the first time in stepwise elution mode, with a biphasic solvent system composed of hexanes-EtOAc-CH3OH-H2O (6:4:5:5, v/v/v/v) and (8.5:1.5:5:5,v/v/v/v). This preparative HSCCC separation was performed on 200 mg of crude sample to yield four trichothecene mycotoxins, roridin E (1), roridin E acetate (2), verrucarin L acetate (3), and verrucarin J (4) in a single run, with each of >98% purity. These compounds were identified by MS, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and polarimetry. The results demonstrate an efficient HSCCC method for the separation of trichothecene mycotoxins, which can be utilized to produce pure commercial and research standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diaphragma juglandis fructus contains various bioactive constituents. Fourteen compounds were isolated from Diaphragma juglandis fructus by preparative high performance liquid chromatography (pre-HPLC) and high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC). Their structures were identified by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). Compounds (+)-dehydrovomifoliol (12), (6R,9R)-9-hydroxymegastigman-4-en-3-one (13) and (6R,9S)-9-hydroxymegastigman-4-en-3-one (14) are found from Juglans regia L. for the first time. Compounds dihydrophaseic acid (2), blumenol B (3) and (4S)-4-hydroxy-1-tetralone (11) are isolated from Diaphragma juglandis fructus for the first time. The anti-inflammatory effects of isolated compounds were evaluated by an in vitro model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. Compounds gallic acid (1), ethyl gallate (9) and (+)-dehydrovomifoliol (12) exhibited inhibitory activity on the nitric oxide production of RAW 264.7 at a concentration of 25 µM. The result indicated that the combination HSCCC with pre-HPLC is an effective way for compound separation and purification. And Diaphragma juglandis fructus constituents have the potential for the treatment of inflammatory-related diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ten compounds, including three lignan glycosides and seven lignans, were purified from Justicia procumbens L. in 8 h using an efficient strategy based on high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC). The two-phase solvent system composed of petroleum-ethyl acetate-methanol-H2O (1:0.7:1:0.7, v/v) was firstly employed to separate the crude extract (320 mg), from which 19.3 mg of justicidin B (f), 10.8 mg of justicidin A (g), 13.9 mg of 60-hydroxyjusticidin C (h), 7.7 mg of justicidin E (i), 6.3 mg of lignan J1 (j) were obtained with 91.3 mg of enriched mixture of compounds a-e. The enriched mixture (91.3 mg) was further separated using the solvent system consisting of petroleum-ethyl acetate-methanol-H2O (3:3.8:3:3.8, v/v), yielding 12.1 mg of procumbenoside E (a); 7.6 mg of diphyllin-1-O-β-D-apiofuranoside (b); 7.4 mg of diphyllin (c); 8.3 mg of 60-hydroxy justicidin B (d); and 7.9 mg of diphyllin acetyl apioside (e). The purities of the 10 components were all above 94%, and their structures were identified by NMR and ESI-MS spectra. The results demonstrated that the strategy based on HSCCC for the separation of lignans and their glycosides was efficient and rapid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adsorption mechanism for three peptides was studied under overloaded conditions through adsorption isotherm measurements in the presence of an ion-pairing reagent, trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), on an end-capped C 18 -bonded stationary phase. The overall aim of the study was to obtain a better understanding of how the acetonitrile and the TFA fractions in the eluent affected the overloaded elution profiles and the selectivity between peptides using mechanistic modelling and multivariate design of experiments. When studying the effect of TFA, direct evidence for ion pair formation between a peptide and TFA in acetonitrile-water solutions was provided by fluorine-proton nuclear Overhauser NMR enhancement experiments and the adsorption of TFA on the stationary phase was measured by frontal analysis. The adsorption isotherms for each peptide were then determined by the inverse method at eight TFA concentrations ranging from 2.6 mM to 37.3 mM (0.02–0.29 vol-%) in isocratic elution. The equilibrium between the peptide ion and the peptide-TFA complex was modelled by coupling the mass-balance to reaction kinetics and determining separate adsorption isotherms for the two species. We found that a Langmuir isotherm described the elution profile of peptide-TFA complex well while the peptide ion was described by a bi-Langmuir adsorption isotherm since it exhibited strong secondary interactions. The elution profiles had an unfavorable shape at low TFA concentrations consisting of a spike in their front and a long tailing rear due to the secondary interactions for the peptide ion having very low saturation capacity. The acetonitrile dependence on the adsorption isotherms was studied by determination of adsorption isotherms directly from elution profiles obtained in gradient elution which enabled a broad acetonitrile interval to be studied. Here, it was found that the column saturation capacity was quickly reached at very low acetonitrile fractions and that there were significant variations in adsorption with the molecular weight. Finally, practical implications for method development are discussed based on an experimental design where gradient slope and TFA concentrations are used as factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synthesis of 1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetraazacyclooctane and 1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazacyclohexane by the Bachmann process leads to a mixture of both. The separation of 1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetraazacyclooctane and 1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazacyclohexane from their mixture is difficult because the sizes and physical properties of these homologous compounds are similar. For this purpose, seven molecularly imprinted polymers have been synthesized for each explosive, and a selective solid-phase extraction procedure has been developed. A molecularly imprinted polymer, synthesized with 1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetraazacyclooctane as the template, methacrylic acid as the monomer and trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate as the cross-linking agent in a molar ratio of 1:8:8 showed the best separation capability. A packed cartridge containing this polymer can be reused for 23 solid-phase extraction cycles without repacking, and the total separation capability toward 1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetraazacyclooctane reached 6.81 mg per gram of polymer. 1,3,5-Trinitro-1,3,5-triazacyclohexane was not detected in the separated 1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetraazacyclooctane by high-performance liquid chromatography and vice versa. This newly developed method had the advantages of high recovery (100%) and purity, environmental friendliness, and room temperature operability. This study showed that some molecularly imprinted polymers that cannot absorb target analytes well in the solvent in which the polymers were polymerized might have high-binding capacity for the analytes and show imprinting effects in other solvents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, a green and efficient ultrasonic-assisted extraction method of polyphenols from Hibiscus manihot L. flowers (HMLF) was performed, and the corresponding experimental parameters were optimized by Taguchi OA Design. Meanwhile, a two-step high-speed counter-current chromatography coupled with macroporous resin was successfully established with the optimal two-phase solvent systems comprising EtOAc-MeOH-H 2 O (100:3:100, v/v/v) and Hex-EtOAc-MeOH-H 2 O (1:5:1:5, v/v/v/v) to isolate and prepare eight polyphenols with purities exceeding 95%, including two phenolic acids and six flavonoids, respectively. The yield of the isolated polyphenols was determined to be 50.4 mg from the enriched extract in a single run. Moreover, the interactions of the eight isolated compounds with AChE and BuChE were explicitly evaluated and described by molecular docking. This study confirms that the proposed method is a cost-effective and powerful strategy for the scaled-up extraction and preparative separation of the high-purity polyphenols from HMLF, and provides an opportunity for automation and systematic preparation of natural products used in the food and pharmaceutical industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) was applied for the first time for the preparative separation of spirobisnaphthalenes from a crude extract of the endophytic fungus Berkleasmium sp. Dzf12, associated with the medicinal plant Dioscorea zingiberensis. Six spirobisnaphthalenes were successfully separated by HSCCC with a two-phase solvent system composed of n-hexane-chloroform-methanol-water (1.5:3.0:2.5:2.0, v/v). About 18.0 mg of diepoxin k (1), 245.7 mg of palmarumycin C13 (2), 42.4 mg of palmarumycin C16 (3), 42.2 mg of palmarumycin C15 (4), 32.6 mg of diepoxin δ (5), and 22.3 mg of diepoxin γ (6) with purities of 56.82, 71.39, 76.57, 75.86, 91.01 and 82.48%, respectively, as determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), were obtained from 500 mg of the crude extract in a one-step elution within 7 h of separation procedure by HSCCC. The purified spirobisnaphthalenes were further structurally characterized by means of physicochemical and spectrometric analysis.

Three phenolic compounds, p-hydroxybenzoic acid (1), isorhamnetin-3-O-β-D-rutinoside (2), and 3,3'-di-O-methylquercetin (5), along with a phenolic mixture were successfully separated from the ethyl acetate crude extract of Halimodendron halodendron by high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) with chloroform-methanol-water-acetic acid (4:3:2:0.05, v/v) as the two-phase solvent system. The phenolic mixture from HSCCC was further separated by preparative HPLC and purified by Sephadex LH-20 to afford quercetin (3) and 3-O-methylquercetin (4). Seven hundred mg of ethyl acetate crude extract was separated by HSCCC to obtain six fractions which were then analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The HSCCC separation obtained total of 80 mg of the mixture of quercetin (3) and 3-O-methylquercetin (4) (26.43% and 71.89%, respectively) in fraction 2, 14 mg of 3,3'-di-O-methylquercetin (5) at 95.14% of purity in fraction 3, 15 mg of p-hydroxybenzoic acid (1) at 92.83% of purity in fraction 5, 12 mg of isorhamnetin-3-O-β-D-rutinoside (2) at 97.99% of purity in fraction 6. This is the first time these phenolic compounds have been obtained from H. halodendron, and their chemical structures identified by means of physicochemical and spectrometric analysis.

The contamination of foods and animal feeds with trichothecene mycotoxins is a growing concern for human and animal health. As such, large quantities of pure trichothecene mycotoxins are necessary for food safety monitoring and toxicological research. A new and effective method for the purification of trichothecene mycotoxins from a marine fungus, Fusarium sp. LS68, is described herein. Preparative high-speed countercurrent chromatography (HSCCC) was utilized for the scalable isolation and purification of four trichothecene mycotoxins for the first time in stepwise elution mode, with a biphasic solvent system composed of hexanes–EtOAc–CH3OH–H2O (6:4:5:5, v/v/v/v) and (8.5:1.5:5:5,v/v/v/v). This preparative HSCCC separation was performed on 200 mg of crude sample to yield four trichothecene mycotoxins, roridin E (1), roridin E acetate (2), verrucarin L acetate (3), and verrucarin J (4) in a single run, with each of >98% purity. These compounds were identified by MS, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and polarimetry. The results demonstrate an efficient HSCCC method for the separation of trichothecene mycotoxins, which can be utilized to produce pure commercial and research standards.

High-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) has been successfully used for the separation of eight compounds from Chimonanthus praecox flowers. Firstly, the crude extract of Chimonanthus praecox flowers was dissolved in a two-phase solvent system composed of petroleum ether-ethyl acetate-methanol-H2O (5:5:3:7, v/v) and divided into two parts: the upper phase (part I) and the lower phase (part II). Then, HSCCC was applied to separate the phenolic acids from part I and part II, respectively. Considering the broad polarity range of target compounds in part I, a stepwise elution mode was established. Two optimal solvent systems of petroleum ether-ethyl acetate-methanol-H2O-formic acid (FA) (5:5:3:7:0.02, 5:5:4.3:5.7:0.02, v/v) were employed in this separation. Five phenylpropanoids and two flavonoids were successfully separated from 280 mg of part I, including 8.7 mg of 3,4-dihydroxy benzoic acid (a, 95.3% purity), 10.9 mg of protocatechualdehyde (b, 96.8% purity), 11.3 mg of p-coumaric acid (c, 98.9% purity), 12.2 mg of p-hydroxybenzaldehyde (d, 95.9% purity), 24.7 mg of quercetin (e, 97.3% purity), 33.8 mg of kaempferol (f, 96.8% purity), and 24.6 mg of 4-hydroxylcinnamic aldehyde (g, 98.0% purity). From 300 mg of part II, 65.7 mg of rutin (h, 98.2% purity), 7.5 mg of 3,4-dihydroxy benzoic acid (a, 77.4% purity), and 4.7 mg of protocatechualdehyde (b, 81.6% purity) were obtained using the solvent system EtOAc-n-butanol (n-BuOH)-FA-H2O (4:1:0.5:5, v/v). The structures of the eight pure compounds were confirmed by electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR. To the best of our knowledge, compounds a-d and f were the first separated and reported from the Chimonanthus praecox flower extract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ustilaginoidins are bis-naphtho-γ-pyrone mycotoxins isolated from the rice false smut balls (FSBs) infected by the pathogen Villosiclava virens in rice spikelets on panicles. In order to obtain large amounts of pure ustilaginoidins to further evaluate their biological activities and functions, phytotoxicity on rice, security to human and animals as well as to accelerate their applications as pharmaceuticals, preparative high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) was successfully applied to the isolation and purification of seven bis-naphtho-γ-pyrone mycotoxins, namely ustilaginoidins A (1), G (2), B (3), H (4), I (5), C (6), and J (7) from the ethyl acetate crude extract of rice FSBs. Both 1 and 2 were prepared by HSCCC from the low-polarity fraction of the crude extract using the two-phase solvent system composed of n-hexane-ethyl acetate-methanol-water at the volume ratio of 6.5:3.5:5.0:5.0. Similarly, 3, 4 and 5 were prepared from the medium-polarity fraction using the system at the volume ratio of 4.0:5.0:5.0:6.0, and 6 and 7 were prepared from the higher-polarity fraction using the system at volume ratio of 3.0:5.0:4.0:6.7. A total of 6.2 mg of 1, 5.1 mg of 2, 3.9 mg of 3, 1.2 mg of 4, 5.7 mg of 5, 3.5 mg of 6, and 6.1 mg of 7 with purities of 88%, 82%, 91%, 80%, 92%, 81% and 83%, respectively, were yielded from total 62 mg fraction samples in three independent HSCCC runs. The structures of the purified ustilaginoidins were characterized by means of physicochemical and spectrometric analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diaphragma juglandis fructus contains various bioactive constituents. Fourteen compounds were isolated from Diaphragma juglandis fructus by preparative high performance liquid chromatography (pre-HPLC) and high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC). Their structures were identified by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). Compounds (+)-dehydrovomifoliol (12), (6R,9R)-9-hydroxymegastigman-4-en-3-one (13) and (6R,9S)-9-hydroxymegastigman-4-en-3-one (14) are found from Juglans regia L. for the first time. Compounds dihydrophaseic acid (2), blumenol B (3) and (4S)-4-hydroxy-1-tetralone (11) are isolated from Diaphragma juglandis fructus for the first time. The anti-inflammatory effects of isolated compounds were evaluated by an in vitro model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. Compounds gallic acid (1), ethyl gallate (9) and (+)-dehydrovomifoliol (12) exhibited inhibitory activity on the nitric oxide production of RAW 264.7 at a concentration of 25 μM. The result indicated that the combination HSCCC with pre-HPLC is an effective way for compound separation and purification. And Diaphragma juglandis fructus constituents have the potential for the treatment of inflammatory-related diseases.

As known to all, bamboo and its juice are important resources for industrial crops as well as functional aliments. In this study, an ionic liquid-involved "sandwich" membranes system was developed for one-step separation of polysaccharides, phenols and amino acids in bamboo juice, which was prepared with solvent-free microwave-ultrasound hyphenated way. After that, the feed liquid enriched the bamboo polysaccharides with high molecular weight, the receptor liquid (stripping phase) contained amino acids and the phenolic compounds were recovered from the ionic liquid phase. Related separation conditions and kinetics were both investigated, and the products together with their yield and bioactivity were all compared between the new systematic separation system and conventional single fraction-targeted ways. According to the whole results, it can be proved that the system and device have the advantages of mild conditions, simple operation, highly hyphenated degree, environmental friendliness, and easy continuous enrichment and recycling to obtain bioactive large and small molecules simultaneously. • Special hyphenated solvent-free extraction was developed for bamboo juice. • Ionic liquid-involved "sandwich" membranes were developed for the first time. • Three types of active components can be prepared simultaneously in one step. • Both yield and products bioactivity were more ideal than those from current ways. • Investigation was comprehensive and waste bamboo materials can be reused. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, six kinds of different ionic liquid-modified silica were synthesized and characterized with infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, elemental analysis, N 2 adsorption–desorption isotherms and particle size distribution. Then they were used as adsorbents for the preparative separation of water-soluble phenolic acids from Salvia militiorrhiza Bunge for the first time. The effects of various parameters including functional groups of adsorbents, adsorption time, initial concentration, solid–liquid ratio and temperature were investigated in detail. It was found that silica modified with N -methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (SiO 2 ·Im + ·PF 6 − ) had most excellent adsorption capacity for target compounds, which reached 99.81 mg/g under the conditions of adsorption time of 30 min, initial sample concentration of 350 mg/L and solid–liquid ratio of 1:1 (mg/mL). Studies showed that the equilibrium data fitted well with Langmuir model of adsorption and the adsorption kinetics was more accurately described by pseudo-second-order model. Thermodynamics parameters including the change of enthalpy, entropy and Gibbs free energy were also analyzed. Furthermore, the water-soluble phenolic acids of Salvia militiorrhiza Bunge were successfully preparatively separated on the normal pressure chromatographic column packed with the SiO 2 ·Im + ·PF 6 − particles to obtain protocatechuic aldehyde, sodium danshensu, rosmarinic acid, lithospermic acid and salvianolic acid B successively. The separation mechanism was investigated on the basis of experimental results and the reusability of the ionic liquid-modified silica gel was also explored. This study provides an useful reference for the preparation separation of natural products and indicates that the ionic liquid-modified silica can be applied in the separation of water-soluble phenolic acids with great prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dihydrochalcones are the main active components of Lithocarpus polystachyus Rehd. (Sweet Tea), they are directly related to the sweet tonic beverage and traditional herb. In this work, two runs of preparative high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) with a two-phase solvent system composed of n -hexane/ethyl acetate/ethanol/water (1:4:3:4, v/v) were employed to separate three dihydrochalcones (phloridzin, trilobatin and phloretin) from Sweet Tea. About 6.4 mg of phloridzin, 48.4 mg of trilobatin, and 4.7 mg of phloretin with purities of 96.7%, 98.4% and 98.1% were obtained from 130 mg of the crude Sweet Tea extract. Phloridzin, trilobatin, and phloretin had effective radical scavenging activities, with IC 50 values of 866.80, 20.16 and 179.47 μg/mL, respectively, in a 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical method. The contents of phloridzin, trilobatin and phloretin in dried old leaves and tender leaves of tea were in the range of 10.1–18.0, 113.7–128.8, 3.6–4.3 mg/g and 9.3–9.8, 82.9–103.1, 1.9–2.5 mg/g, respectively. The results indicated that the HPLC had good precision, accuracy and repeatability for the determination of three dihydrochalcones in samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is demonstrated that field-flow fractionation using a rotating coiled column (RCC) can be used for the separation and purification of the polydisperse sorbents based on polystyrene-divinylbenzene. The behavior of the sorbent at different operating parameters of RCC was studied. The mobile phase composition, column rotation speed, and the initial flow rate of the mobile phase were selected, optimized for the isolation of a monodisperse fraction with the particle size 4.5 µm and the separation of particles 0.5-2 µm in size, particle fragments, and residues of sorbent synthesis. It is shown that a 15-mL analytical RCC ensures the efficient fractionation of 100 mg of the sorbent in one experiment taking less than one hour with the yield of the desired fraction greater than 95%. The perspectives for scaling up the fractionation in RCC are evaluated; the possibility of using the method for the preparative separation of particles of different nature is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arsenite (AsO33-) is the dominant arsenic (As) oxyanion in most of As rich groundwaters, generating serious health problems worldwide. It is assumable that the isotopic composition of the associated oxygen may broaden our understanding about the causes, which led to the appearance of this kind of contamination. The aim of this study was to work out an efficient method for the selective extraction of arsenite from natural water samples, in a form adequate for isotopic measurements. Three adsorbents, i. basic yttrium carbonate (BYC), ii. porous polymer beads loaded with monoclinic hydrous zirconium oxide (MHZR), and iii. nanoparticlate Fe2O3(NFO) were tested for their suitability to separating AsO33-from coexisting anions that may interfere with the isotopic measurement. Results show that 95.1%, 99.3%, and 98.2% of AsO33-were adsorbed selectively and separated from SO42-and Cl-in water by BYC, MHZR, and NFO, respectively. Using different desorption agents, 95.0% and 87.5% of AsO33-were stripped from BYC in 0.05 M HNO3and NFO in 2 M NaOH, respectively, but only 27.5% from MHZR. By adding AgNO3in excess to these solutions, 98.3 ± 1.28% (n = 4) and 95.7 ± 4.81% (n = 4) of the AsO33-, desorbed from the BYC and NFO, were precipitated as Ag3AsO3, respectively. The purity of the precipitates was checked with SEM-EDX. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work reports a high-performance liquid chromatography normal-phase methodology to elucidate enantiomers of naphthalene derivatives, evaluated as melatoninergic agonists. For this purpose four different polysaccharide based chiral stationary phases were evaluated, namely Chiralcel OD-H (cellulose tris-3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate), Chiralcel OJ (cellulose tris-methylbenzoate), Chiralpak AD (amylose tris-3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) and Chiralpak AS (amylose tris-( S)-1-phenylethylcarbamate) with different alcoholic modifiers on different amounts in n-heptane. A temperature study was carried out, between 20 and 40 °C and the apparent thermodynamic parameters were calculated thanks to the Van't Hoff linearization. For all compounds (except 3), ΔΔ H° and ΔΔ S° exhibited positive values ranging from 791.2 to 9999.3 J/mol and from 3.9 to 37.8 J/K/mol respectively, indicating entropically driven separations. Optimized conditions led to goof resolution of 2.37 for compound 1 on Chiralpak AS, with heptane-2-propanol 90:10 (v/v), at a temperature of 30 °C. Then they were transposed to the preparative scale for compound 1, generating 22 mg of each enantiomer with an 80% yield. The limits of detection and of quantification were determined to allow the calculation of the enantiomeric excess. They were found with very low values, equal to 0.32 and 1.05 µ m and 0.33 and 1.11 µ m, respectively, for peaks 1 and 2 of compound 1. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]