Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 23, 2026
09:38
Single-throughput Complementary High-resolution Analytical Techniques for Characterizing Complex Natural Organic Matter Mixtures
Published on: January 7, 2019
Solvent derived artifacts in natural products chemistry
Federica Maltese1, Frank van der Kooy, Robert Verpoorte
1Division of Pharmacognosy, Section of Metabolomics, Institute of Biology, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9502, 2300RA Leiden, The Netherlands.
Natural Product Communications
|May 6, 2009
Summary
Solvents are crucial in natural product chemistry for extraction and purification. Improper solvent use can create artifacts, alter compound activity, and hinder reproducibility, highlighting the need for careful selection and stability studies.
Area of Science:
- Natural Product Chemistry
- Organic Chemistry
Background:
- Solvents are indispensable in natural product chemistry, primarily for metabolite extraction and purification from biological sources.
- They also serve as reagents or catalysts in chemical reactions, albeit to a lesser extent.
- This review examines common solvent classes: alcohols, halogenated solvents, esters, ethers, acids, and bases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the critical role of solvents in natural product chemistry.
- To discuss solvent-induced chemical reactions leading to artifact formation.
- To identify common solvent contaminants and their impact.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of solvent classes and their applications in natural product isolation.
- Analysis of chemical reactions that generate artifacts during solvent use.
- Review of common contaminants in frequently used solvents.
Main Results:
- Solvent use can lead to the formation of artifacts, altering the natural profile of isolated compounds.
- Contaminated solvents and artifact formation can cause loss of activity, false positives, reduced yields, and generation of toxic compounds.
- These issues significantly impede the reproducibility of extraction and purification methods.
Conclusions:
- Careful solvent selection and management are essential to prevent artifact formation and ensure accurate natural product analysis.
- Understanding solvent properties and potential contaminants is critical for reliable isolation and characterization.
- Stability studies of purified natural products are often overlooked but necessary to validate findings.
Related Concept Videos
01:08Sample Preparation for Analysis: Advanced Techniques
Accurate analysis of complex samples often requires advanced preparation techniques to achieve reliable and reproducible results. Samples containing inorganic or organic materials can be challenging to dissolve or decompose effectively. Standard sample preparation methods include acid digestion, fusion, dry ashing, and wet digestion.
Acid digestion with strong acids is commonly used to dissolve inorganic materials that are insoluble (do not dissolve) in water. This method can be useful for...
Acid digestion with strong acids is commonly used to dissolve inorganic materials that are insoluble (do not dissolve) in water. This method can be useful for...
01:12Solvents
A solvent is a substance, most often a liquid, that can dissolve other substances. Here, the substance being dissolved is called a solute. When a solvent and a solute combine, they form a solution - a homogenous mixture of both the solvent and the solute. Water is a universal biological solvent. Its polar structure allows it to dissolve many other polar compounds. The ability of water to dissolve is governed by a balance between water molecules binding to each other and binding to the solute.
A...
A...
02:12Solvating Effects
An understanding of the solvating effect helps rationalize the relation between solvation and acidity of the compound. In addition, this also explains the relative stability of conjugate bases for compounds with different pKa values. This lesson details, in-depth, the principle of solvating effects. The strength of an acid and the stability of its corresponding conjugate base are determined using pKa values. This observed relationship is a consequence of solvation, which is the interaction...
03:00Solubility
Solution, Solubility, and Solubility Equilibrium
A solution is a homogeneous mixture composed of a solvent, the major component, and a solute, the minor component. The physical state of a solution—solid, liquid, or gas—is typically the same as that of the solvent. Solute concentrations are often described with qualitative terms such as dilute (of relatively low concentration) and concentrated (of relatively high concentration).
In a solution, the solute particles (molecules, atoms, and/or ions)...
A solution is a homogeneous mixture composed of a solvent, the major component, and a solute, the minor component. The physical state of a solution—solid, liquid, or gas—is typically the same as that of the solvent. Solute concentrations are often described with qualitative terms such as dilute (of relatively low concentration) and concentrated (of relatively high concentration).
In a solution, the solute particles (molecules, atoms, and/or ions)...