Simultaneous Separation of Rutin, Quercitrin, and Myricitrin from the Subfraction of Licorice Seeds by HSCCC
Le Li, Xiao Sun, Danian Tian, Xinyi Huang, Jianping Yong, Canzhong LuBackground:
Licorice is the dried root and rhizome of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch., Glycyrrhiza glabra L., and Glycyrrhiza inflata Bat., and has been widely used in Chinese medicine for a long time. Many metabolites have been isolated from licorice roots, and they exhibit a wide spectrum of biological activities. However, little research on the metabolites of licorice seeds has been conducted to date. Therefore, it is necessary to study the licorice seeds and make full use of this natural resource. In this studythe metabolites of licorice seeds were explored to discover new compounds, especially lead candidates, from this natural resource.
Methods:
The Ethyl Acetate (EA) extract of the licorice seeds was selected for isolation by Column Chromatography (CC), preparative Reverse Phase High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (RP-HPLC), as well as recrystallization to obtain the pure compounds [1, 2, and 3; which were confirmed as “rutin, quercitrin and myricitrin” respectively by NMR and single crystal X-ray diffraction (SC-XRD)]. Their purity was confirmed by HPLC. Subsequently, they were prepared by High-Speed Counter-Current Chromatography (HSCCC).
Results:
In this study, rutin, quercitrin, and myricitrin were isolated from the licorice seed for the first time.
Discussion:
For the preparation of “rutin, quercitrin, and myricitrin”, first RP-HPLC was used. However, it is very difficult to isolate them in a single injection when they have similar polarities. Then, HSCCC was used to extract them successfully in a single injection. At the same time, the HSCCC separation conditions (Table 1) were also optimized, which provide a good reference for the isolation of these similar compounds.
Conclusion:
Scientific evidence is provided for an in-depth exploration of the components of licorice seeds.