Liquid-liquid Separation Method Research Articles

Bioactivity Profiling and Phytochemical Analysis of Carissa carandas Extracts: Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory, and Anti-Urinary Tract Infection Properties.

Carissa carandas L. (Apocynaceae) is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia including Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka. C. carandas is considered as an integral component of traditional medicinal systems to combat several health ailments. The present study aimed to assess this plant's phytochemical contents and biological potential by performing sequential extraction, adopting a bioassay-guided approach. C. carandas powder was extracted with n-hexane to remove fatty substances and then residues were sequentially extracted with dichloromethane, methanol, and 50% methanol. All the sequential crude extracts were evaluated for phytochemical contents (total phenolics, flavonoids, and anthocyanins), in vitro antioxidant activity (FRAP, DPPH), in vitro anti-inflammatory activity (serum and egg albumin denaturation), in vivo anti-inflammatory activity (carrageenan- and formaldehyde-induced paw edema), and in vitro antimicrobial activity. Active crude extract was then partitioned using the liquid-liquid separation method followed by further separation of the active fraction by RP-HPLC. The active fraction was then subjected to LC-ESI-MS/MS analysis for tentative identification of bioactive metabolites responsible for its bioactive properties, followed by HPLC quantification. The analysis revealed methanol extract to have more phytochemical contents, radical scavenging properties, reduced inflammation in both models (in vitro and in vivo), and antimicrobial properties against urinary tract infection-causing agents as compared to dichloromethane and 50% methanol extracts. The ethyl acetate fraction obtained after liquid-liquid partitioning (LLP) of the active methanol extract exhibited more activity as compared to C. carandas methanol extract. RP-HPLC sub-fractionation yielded seven sub-fractions, but a slight decrease in biological potential was recorded. Therefore, LLP fraction B was subjected to further analysis. LC-ESI-MS/MS analysis led to the tentative identification of phenolic acids (chlorogenic acid, quinic acid), flavonoids (quercetin), and anthocyanins (peonidin-3-arabinoside, delphinidin-3-galactoside, delphinidin-3-rutinoside) in the active LLP ethyl acetate fraction. Chlorogenic acid, ellagic acid, and quinic acid were quantified as 17.6 µg/mg, 5.90 µg/mg, and 3.30 µg/mg, respectively, on a dry weight basis by HPLC. C. carandas may be considered a promising therapeutic plant, and the results of the current study provide more evidence to support the assertions made in ancient medical traditions. These findings highlight its promising applications in health, medicine, cosmetics, preservatives, and as a natural coloring agent.

Age-related changes of cholestanol and lathosterol plasma concentrations: an explorative study

BackgroundCerebrotendinous xanthomatosis (CTX) and Lathosterolosis represent two treatable inherited disorders of cholesterol metabolism that are characterized by the accumulation of cholestanol and lathosterol, respectively. The age of the patients suspected of having these disorders is highly variable due to the very different phenotypes. The early diagnosis of these disorders is important because specific therapeutic treatment could prevent the disease progression. The biochemical diagnosis of these defects is generally performed analyzing the sterol profile.Since age-related levels of these sterols are lacking, this study aims to determine a preliminary comparison of plasma levels of cholestanol and lathosterol among Italian unaffected newborns, children and healthy adults.MethodsThe sterols were extracted from 130 plasma samples (24 newborns, 33 children and 73 adults) by a liquid-liquid separation method and quantified by gas chromatography coupled with a flame ionization detector.ResultsCholesterol, cholestanol and lathosterol levels together with the cholestanol/cholesterol and lathosterol/cholesterol ratios are statistically different among the three groups. Cholesterol levels progressively increased from newborns to children and to adults, whereas cholestanol/cholesterol and cholestanol/lathosterol ratios progressively decreased from newborns to children and to adults. Lathosterol levels were higher in adults than in both newborns and children. In the total population a positive correlation was observed between cholesterol levels and both cholestanol (correlation coefficient = 0.290, p = 0.001) and lathosterol levels (correlation coefficient = 0.353, p < 0.0001).ConclusionsAlthough this study can only be considered an explorative experience due to the low number of analyzed samples, we revealed several differences of plasma cholestanol and lathosterol levels and their ratios to cholesterol levels among newborns, children and adults. These evidences indicate the need of age-related reference values of cholestanol and lathosterol concentrations, including also newborns and children.

Erratum for: Different Ways to On-Line Hyphenate Centrifugal Partition Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry: Application to Prenylated Xanthones from Garcinia mangostana.

Centrifugal partition chromatography is a liquid-liquid separation method well adapted for the fractionation or purification of natural compounds from plant extracts. However, following the preparative isolation, the fractions collected must be analysed by high-performance thin-layer chromatography or high-performance liquid chromatography to evaluate their composition and/or their purity. These additional steps are time-consuming and increase the risk of compound degradation. In order to get an instantaneous analysis of fraction content with structural information on the phytochemicals eluted, it is possible to hyphenate on-line centrifugal partition chromatography with mass spectrometry. Depending on the complexity of the extract, two different kinds of centrifugal partition chromatography-mass spectrometry coupling can be performed: centrifugal partition chromatography-mass spectrometry or centrifugal partition chromatography-high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry coupling. In the first case, one part of the centrifugal partition chromatography effluent is directly introduced in the mass spectrometry ionisation source to identify the eluted compounds, while in the second case, it is directed to a high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry system where compounds are first separated thanks to high-performance liquid chromatography and then identified using mass spectrometry.

Different Ways to On-Line Hyphenate Centrifugal Partition Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry: Application to Prenylated Xanthones from Garcinia mangostana.

Centrifugal partition chromatography is a liquid-liquid separation method well adapted for the fractionation or purification of natural compounds from plant extracts. However, following the preparative isolation, the fractions collected must be analysed by high-performance thin-layer chromatography or high-performance liquid chromatography to evaluate their composition and/or their purity. These additional steps are time-consuming and increase the risk of compound degradation. In order to get an instantaneous analysis of fraction content with structural information on the phytochemicals eluted, it is possible to hyphenate on-line centrifugal partition chromatography with mass spectrometry. Depending on the complexity of the extract, two different kinds of centrifugal partition chromatography-mass spectrometry coupling can be performed: centrifugal partition chromatography-mass spectrometry or centrifugal partition chromatography-high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry coupling. In the first case, one part of the centrifugal partition chromatography effluent is directly introduced in the mass spectrometry ionisation source to identify the eluted compounds, while in the second case, it is directed to a high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry system where compounds are first separated thanks to high-performance liquid chromatography and then identified using mass spectrometry.