Using High-Performance Counter-Current Chromatography Combined with Preparative High Performance Liquid Chromatogramphy for the Separation of Bioactive Compounds from the Water Extract ofGentiana macrophyllaPall

In this paper, a combined high performance counter-current chromatography (HPCCC) and preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was employed for rapid separation and enrichment of bioactive constituents from a water extract of Gentiana macrophylla Pall. With a two phase solvent system composed of ethyl acetate-n-butanol-water-acetic acid (2: 3: 5: 0.6, v/v), the water extract of G. macrophylla Pall was fractionated into six fractions with three targets isolated and four others highly concentrated, which were then further purified by preparative-HPLC. As a result, 37 mg deglucoserrulatoside, 22.4 mg loganic acid, 3.9 mg isoorientin, 22.4 mg swertiamarin, 52.3 mg gentiopicroside, 27.5 mg sweroside, and 7.9 mg macrophylloside D with the purity of 95.3%, 90.2%, 98%, 98%, 99.2%, 98.8%, and 98.4%, respectively, were isolated from the water extract of Gentiana macrophylla Pall. The structures were confirmed by UV spectra, MS, as well as NMR measurements.