Isolation, Purification, and Liquid Chromatographic Determination of Stilbene Phytoalexins in Peanuts

Abstract

Abstract A liquid chromatographic (LC) method for determination of stilbene phytoalexins (SPs) in peanuts has been developed. SPs were extracted with acetonitrile–water (90 + 10, v/v) by high-speed blending. An aliquot of extract was applied to a minicolumn packed with AI2O3–ODS (C18) mixture and eluted with acetonitrile-water (90 + 10, v/v). Eluate was evaporated under nitrogen, and residue was dissolved in LC mobile phase. SPs in an aliquot of purified extract were quantitated by normal-phase partition LC on silica gel with n-heptane–2-propanol–water–acetonitrile–acetic acid (1050 + 270 + 17 + 5 + 1, v/v) as mobile phase. Recoveries of SPs [frans-4-(3-methyl-but-1-enyl)-3,5,4′-trihy-droxystilbene (trans-arachidin-3; t-Ar-3), trans-3-isopentadienyl-4,3′,5′-trihydroxystilbene (t-IPD), and trans-3,5,4′-trihydroxystilbene (trans-resveratrol; t-Res)] from peanuts spiked at 300 ppb were 96.05 ± 2.8%. Limits of quantitation for t-Ar-3 and t-IPD were about 100 ppb. t-Ar-3, t-IPD, and t-Res were found in all parts of the peanut plant as major SPs produced in response to fungal invasion.