[Definitive screening design combined with design space for optimizing purification process of Scutellariae Radix...

In the pharmacopoeia, many process parameters for the purification process of Scutellariae Radix are unclear. In this study, deterministic screening design combined with design space method was used to optimize the purification process of Scutellariae Radix extract. Nine method parameters such as mass fraction of solution(X_1), first acid precipitation pH(X_2) and first holding time(X_3) in the purification process were firstly studied by definitive screening design. The yield of baicalin was defined as the evaluation index. A stepwise regression method was used then to build quantitative models between evaluation index and method parameters and the three most critical impact parameters were determined. Probability-based design space was calculated and successfully verified with the experimental error simulation method. Finally, the second standing temperature, the first standing temperature and the pH value of the second acid precipitation were determined as the three most critical method parameters. The recommended operating space was as follows: the second standing temperature 5-7 ℃, the first standing temperature 13-15 ℃, and the pH of the second acid precipitation 1.5-1.7. Within this operating space, the baicalin yield in the purification process was over 80%, and the probability of reaching the standard was over 0.96. In this study, we optimized the effect of various parameters for the purification process of the Scutellariae Radix extract in the pharmacopoeia on the yield of baicalin and provided a reference for industrial production of the exact of Scutellariae Radix.