title: Preparative separation of the saponin lancemaside a from Codonopsis lanceolata by centrifugal partition chromatography.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lancemaside A is a saponin that inhibits decreases in blood testosterone level and thus prevents or ameliorates symptoms associated with male climacteric disorder. Our initial attempt to preparative isolation of lancemaside A from the saponin fraction of Codonopsis lanceolata roots by a preparative HPLC did not give a clear result.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To develop a simple and efficient method for the preparative isolation of lancemaside A from the hot water extract of C. lanceolata roots using centrifugal partition chromatography (CPC).
  
  
  METHODS
  The saponin fraction obtained from the hot water extract of C. lanceolata roots was used as the sample for preparative-scale separation of lancemasides by CPC using n-hexane:n-butanol:methanol:0.1% aqueous formic acid (3:4:1:6, v/v) as the two-phase solvent system. The upper phase (organic phase) of the two-phase solvent system was used as the mobile phase, and 0.5 g of saponin fraction was applied for separation by CPC. Each fraction that was separated by CPC was analysed by HPLC, and the fractions containing each of the separated compounds were pooled together, and then were purified by simple preparative HPLC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The demonstrated separation sequence, hot water extraction, DIAION HP-20 column chromatography, CPC and preparative HPLC, yielded lancemaside A, foetidissimoside A and astersaponin Hb in their pure forms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The simple and efficient method for the preparative isolation of lancemaside A along with two other saponins, foetidissimoside A and astersaponin Hb, from the saponin fraction of C. lanceolata was established using CPC.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pharmacognosy and Natural Products Chemistry, Kagawa School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokushima Bunri University, Kagawa 769-2193, Japan. shirota@kph.bunri-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Shirota
authors.forename: Kumi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nagamatsu
authors.forename: Setsuko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sekita
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Komoto
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kuroyanagi
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ichikawa
authors.forename: Sanae
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ohta
authors.forename: Mitsuyasu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ushijima
mesh_terms: D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D029745:Codonopsis / Q000737:chemistry*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry; D012503:Saponins / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D012503:Saponins; C533150:lancemaside A