title: Preparative high-speed counter-current chromatography for purification of shikonin from the Chinese medicinal plant Lithospermum erythrorhizon.
abstract: The bioactive compound shikonin was successfully isolated and purified from the crude extract of the traditional Chinese medicinal plant Lithospermum erythrorhizon Sieb. et Zucc. by preparative high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC). The preparative HSCCC was performed using a two-phase solvent system composed of n-hexane-ethylacetate-ethanol-water (16:14:14:5 (v/v)). A total amount of 19.6 mg of shikonin at 98.9% purity was obtained from 52 mg of the crude extract (containing 38.9% shikonin) with 96.9% recovery. The preparative isolation and purification of shikonin by HSCCC was completed in 200 min in a one-step separation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Hai-Tao
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D003377:Countercurrent Distribution / Q000379:methods*; D029684:Lithospermum / Q000737:chemistry*; D009285:Naphthoquinones / Q000737:chemistry*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D009285:Naphthoquinones; C016101:shikonin