One-step preparative isolation of aristolochic acids by strong ion-exchange centrifugal partition chromatography

Abstract

Aristolochic acids are biologically active and highly toxic secondary metabolites that recently became an important pharmacological tool for in vivo models of acute kidney disorders. Only aristolochic acid I and a mixture of aristolochic acids I and II are currently commercially available. A method based on the strong-ion exchange displacement mode in centrifugal partition chromatography was developed to extract and purify arictolochic acids, naturally present in Aristolochia bracteolata Lam. (Aristolochiaceae). The extraction and purification of aristolochic acids were performed at a flow rate of 2 mL min−1 in the descending mode by using the biphasic solvent system methyl-ter-butylether, acetone, methanol and water (3:1:1:3, v/v/v/v). Trioctylmethylammonium chloride (Aliquat 336®) was used as the anion exchanger in the organic stationary phase and sodium iodide as the displacer in the aqueous mobile phase. From 5 g of crude extract of A. bracteolata, 45.5 mg, 77.2 mg and 35.1 mg of aristolochic acids I, II and IIIa were obtained respectively with purities greater than 95%.