Preparative separation and purification of steroidal saponins in Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis by macroporous adsorption resins

Abstract

Context: Saponins are active compounds in natural products. Many researchers have tried to find the method for knowing their concentration in herbs. Some methods, such as solid–liquid extraction and solvent extraction, have been developed. However, the extraction methods of the steroidal saponins from Paris polyphylla Smith var. yunnanensis (Liliaceae) are not fully researched.Objective: To establish a simple extraction method for the separation of steroidal saponins from the rhizomes of P. polyphylla Smith var. yunnanensis.Materials and methods: Macroporous adsorption resins were used for the separation of steroidal saponins. To select the most suitable resins, seven kinds of macroporous resins were selected in this study. The static adsorption and desorption tests on macroporous resins were determined. Also, we optimized the temperature and the ethanol concentration in the extraction method by the contents of five kinds of saponins. Then, we compared the extraction method with two other methods.Results: D101 resin demonstrated the best adsorption and desorption properties for steroidal saponins. Its adsorption data fits best to the Freundlich adsorption model. The contents of steroidal saponins in the product were 4.83-fold increased with recovery yields of 85.47%.Discussion and conclusion: The process achieved simple and effective enrichment and separation for steroidal saponins. The method provides a scientific basis for large-scale preparation of steroidal saponins from the Rhizoma Paridis and other plants.