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Published on: August 14, 2019
Simultaneous quantification of flavonoids and triterpenoids in licorice using HPLC
Yuan-Chuen Wang1, Yi-Shan Yang
1Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, National Chung Hsing University, 250 Kuokuang Road, Taichung 402, Taiwan, ROC. ycwang@nchu.edu.tw
Summary
A new reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method accurately quantifies seven key bioactive compounds in licorice (Glycyrrhizae Radix). This validated technique offers precise and reliable analysis for quality control of licorice products.
Area of Science:
- Analytical Chemistry
- Pharmacognosy
- Natural Product Analysis
Background:
- Licorice (Glycyrrhizae Radix) contains numerous bioactive compounds, primarily flavonoids and triterpenoids.
- Accurate quantification of these compounds is essential for quality control and therapeutic applications.
- Existing analytical methods may lack the specificity or efficiency for simultaneous analysis of multiple licorice constituents.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method.
- To simultaneously quantify three flavonoids (liquiritin, liquiritigenin, isoliquiritigenin) and four triterpenoids (glycyrrhizin, 18α-glycyrrhetinic acid, 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid, 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid methyl ester) in licorice.
- To apply the validated method to analyze 20 different licorice samples.
Main Methods:
- Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a gradient mobile phase (25 mM phosphate buffer (pH 2.5)-acetonitrile).
- Detection at 254 nm.
- Method validation including specificity, linearity, limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ), recovery, and precision (intra-day and inter-day).
Main Results:
- The developed HPLC method demonstrated good specificity for separating the seven target compounds.
- Excellent linearity was observed with regression coefficients between 0.9978 and 0.9992.
- The method achieved low LOD (0.044–0.084 µg/mL) and LOQ (0.13–0.25 µg/mL), high recovery rates (96.63–103.55%), and good precision (0.20–1.86%).
Conclusions:
- The developed reversed-phase HPLC method is a convenient and validated analytical technique for the simultaneous quantification of multiple bioactive compounds in licorice.
- The method exhibits excellent quantification parameters, accuracy, and precision, making it suitable for routine analysis and quality control of Glycyrrhizae Radix.
- This approach facilitates a more comprehensive understanding and utilization of licorice's phytochemical profile.
