Abstract
Some Curcuma species are widely used as herbal medicines. Sesquiterpenes are their important bioactive compounds and their quantitative analysis is generally accomplished by gas chromatography (GC) or high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), but the instability and high cost of some sesquiterpene reference standards have limited their application. It is necessary to find a practicable means to control the quality of herbal medicines. Using one stable component contained in Curcuma species to determine multiple analogues should be a practical option. In this study, a simple HPLC method for determination of sesquiterpenes using relative response factors (RRFs) has been developed. The easily available and stable active component curdione was selected as the reference compound for calculating the RRFs of the other eight sesquiterpenes, including zedoarondiol (Zedo), isozedoarondiol (Isoz), aerugidiol (Aeru), (4S,5S)-(+)-germacrone-4,5-epoxide (Epox), curcumenone (Curc), neocurdione (Neoc), germacrone (Germ) and furanodiene (Fura). Their RRFs against curdione were between 0.131–1.301, with a good reproducibility. By using the RRFs, the quantification of sesquiterpenes in Curcuma wenyujin herbal medicines and related products was carried out. The method is especially useful for the determination of (4S,5S)-(+)-germacrone-4,5-epoxide, curcumenone, germacrone and furanodiene, which often are regarded as the principle components in Curcuma species, but unstable when were purified. It is an ideal means to analyze the components for which reference standards are not readily available.
Highlights
Sesquiterpenes are the major bioactive constituents of Curcuma plants, with reported anti-tumor, anti-inflammation, anti-oxidant, arthralgia relieving, anti-thrombosis, and hepatoprotective activities [1,2,3].More than 130 sesquiterpenes found in Curcuma plants have been reported, including twelve structural types such as germacrane, elemane and guaiane, etc. [4]
Analysis of sesquiterpenes in Curcuma plants is generally accomplished by GC or gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) [9], but many heat-sensitive sesquiterpenes cannot be studied by GC-MS as rearrangements take place in the injector, making the components indiscernible by the detector
We present a quantitative method for simultaneously determining multiple sesquiterpenes in herbal medicines and related products from C. wenyujin by using only one standard reference
Summary
Sesquiterpenes are the major bioactive constituents of Curcuma plants, with reported anti-tumor, anti-inflammation, anti-oxidant, arthralgia relieving, anti-thrombosis, and hepatoprotective activities [1,2,3]. Furanodiene, furanoelemene and (4S,5S)-germacrone-4,5-epoxide were found discernible in Curcuma species by HPLC using mild conditions (low temperature, short analysis time) [7,10]. Due to their instability, sesquiterpene reference standards of Curcuma plants are expensive and in short supply, which has limited the application of analytical methods for the Curcuma plants. Pharmacopeia, namely Pian-jiang-huang (PJH), Wen-e-zhu (WEZ) and Wen-yu-jin (WYJ) The oils of these three herbal medicines have anti-tumour [1], anti-inflammatory [2], and antiviral effects in clinic [3]. We present a quantitative method for simultaneously determining multiple sesquiterpenes in herbal medicines and related products from C. wenyujin by using only one standard reference
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
