A novel solid phase for selective separation of flavonoid compounds.

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Phytochemistry

Background:

• Flavonoids are important plant compounds with various health benefits.
• Selective separation of specific flavonoids from complex mixtures like herbal extracts is challenging.
• Chitosan-based materials offer potential for chromatographic applications due to their unique properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel, straightforward solid-phase material for selective flavonoid separation.
• To evaluate the material's chromatographic performance for quercetin and its analogues.
• To demonstrate the direct extraction of target flavonoids from Ginkgo biloba extract.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of a solid-phase material via copolymerization of allyl-bromide-modified chitosan and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate.
• Chromatographic analysis to assess selectivity for quercetin and structural analogues using various mobile phases.
• Application of the material for direct trapping of flavonoids from Ginkgo biloba hydrolysate.

Main Results:

• The synthesized material demonstrated high selectivity in separating quercetin and its structural analogues.
• Optimal separation was achieved using specific mobile phases in chromatographic analysis.
• The material successfully trapped quercetin and kaempferol directly from Ginkgo biloba extract hydrolysate.

Conclusions:

• A novel chitosan-based solid phase material enables selective separation of flavonoids.
• The material shows promise for direct extraction of specific constituents from complex natural product mixtures.
• This approach facilitates the isolation of valuable compounds like quercetin and kaempferol from herbal sources.