A cyclodextrin-deep eutectic solvent-based dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction method for quantitative...

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Natural Product Chemistry
• Pharmacognosy

Background:

• Codonopsis Radix (CR) is a traditional medicinal herb with valuable bioactive compounds.
• Assessing the impact of different processing methods on CR's chemical composition is crucial for quality control.
• Existing analytical methods may lack the sensitivity or efficiency for comprehensive CR component analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and optimize a novel cyclodextrin-dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (CD-DLLME) method coupled with High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC).
• To quantitatively analyze four key components in Codonopsis Radix.
• To compare the small-molecule content between fresh-cut and traditionally processed CR.

Main Methods:

• Incorporation of carboxymethyl-β-cyclodextrin (CM-β-CD) into a deep eutectic solvent (DES) for microextraction.
• Optimization of extraction parameters including cyclodextrin type/amount, NaCl concentration, pH, and extraction time.
• HPLC analysis of the extracted analytes, with evaluation of linearity, detection limits, precision, and accuracy.

Main Results:

• The CD-DES method significantly improved extraction efficiencies (8.4-71.2) compared to DES alone.
• Excellent linearity (R² ≥ 0.99) and low detection limits were achieved for the four target analytes.
• Fresh-cut CR showed significantly higher levels of tangshenoside I and lobetyolinin compared to traditionally processed CR.

Conclusions:

• The developed CM-β-CD-DES-HPLC method offers a rapid, simple, and reliable approach for quantifying CR components.
• The findings support the feasibility of the fresh-cutting processing method for CR.
• This study provides a theoretical basis for quality evaluation of fresh-cut processed CR based on small-molecule content.