Simultaneous quantification of eight bioactive secondary metabolites from Codonopsis ovata by validated high...

Chemical investigation of Codonopsis ovata resulted in the isolation and identification of β-sitosterol-3-O-glycoside, luteolin, apigenin, gentiacaulein, swertiaperenine, β-sitosterol, taraxeryl-3-acetate, and 3β-acetoxyoleanane-12-one. A rapid, precise, sensitive and validated HPTLC method for simultaneous quantification of these natural products (NPs) was developed on silica-gel 60F254 plate using ternary solvent system, n-hexane:ethyl acetate:formic acid (10.5:3.5:0.43, v/v/v). Markers were quantified after post chromatographic derivatization with cerric ammonium sulfate reagent. The method was validated for accuracy, precision, LOD, LOQ and all calibration curves showed a good linear relationship (r>0.9924) within test range. Precision was evaluated by intra- and inter-day tests with RSDs <2.59%, accuracy validation recovery 92.43-99.50% with RSDs <1.00%. Apigenin was found major component (natural abundance: 1.103%) and β-sitosterol the least (0.0263%). The NPs displayed antioxidant activity with luteolin exhibiting maximum effect at 1μg/mL concentration (75.9% for DPPH and 43.7% for ABTS) and others at 10 and 25μg/mL, suggesting thereby their apparent potential use for the prevention of free radical induced diseases or as an additive element to food and pharmaceutical industry.