title: Quantitative analysis of anti-inflammatory and radical scavenging triterpenoid esters in evening primrose seeds.
abstract: Lipophilic triterpenoidal esters with radical scavenging and cyclooxygenase inhibitory properties were recently found in cold-pressed, nonraffinated evening primrose oil (EPO). A quantitative assay for the analysis of 3-O-trans-caffeoyl derivatives of betulinic, morolic, and oleanolic acid in evening primrose seeds was developed and validated. Extraction efficiency >99% was achieved by means of pressurized liquid extraction with two extraction cycles and 80% (v/v) ethanol at 120 degrees C. Analysis of esters was by normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography on a Diol column and hexane/ethyl acetate (containing 0.1% formic acid) (65:35) as the eluent. The analytes were determined without further prepurification. Seeds from defined cultures of Oenothera biennis, Oenothera lamarckiana, and Oenothera ammophila, grown under identical conditions, were analyzed. The cultures originated from seeds from eight collections in the wild and from selections from five cultivars. The content of total triterpenoidal esters in seeds varied between 1.34 and 2.78 mg/g. Three types of qualitative patterns were observed for the triterpenoidal esters. The influence of different harvest times and plant treatments was studied with the cultivar Anothera. Variations between 1.5 and 2.3 mg/g were found.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pharmaceutical Biology, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 50, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Janine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zaugg
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Potterat
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Plescher
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Honermeier
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hamburger
mesh_terms: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000032:analysis*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004952:Esters / Q000032:analysis*; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000032:analysis*; D031665:Oenothera biennis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D004952:Esters; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D014315:Triterpenes