title: Dynamic nature of the ligustilide complex.
abstract: Monomeric phthalides such as Z-ligustilide (1) and Z-butylidenephthalide (2) are major constituents of medicinal plants of the Apiaceae family. While 1 has been associated with a variety of observed biological effects, it is also known for its instability and rapid chemical degradation. For the purpose of isolating pure 1 and 2, a gentle and rapid two-step countercurrent isolation procedure was developed. From a supercritical CO2 fluid extract of Angelica sinensis roots, the phthalides were isolated with high GC-MS purities of 99.4% for 1 and 98.9% for 2 and consistently lower qHNMR purities of 98.1% and 96.4%, respectively. Taking advantage of molarity-based qHNMR methodology, a time-resolved study of the dynamic changes and residual complexity of pure 1 was conducted. GC-MS and (qH)NMR analysis of artificially degraded 1 provided evidence for the phthalide degradation pathways and optimized storing conditions. Parallel qHNMR analysis led to the recognition of variations in time- and process-dependent sample purity and has impact on the overall assessment of time-dependent changes in complex natural products systems. The study underscores the importance of independent quantitative monitoring as a prerequisite for the biological evaluation of labile natural products such as monomeric phthalides.
authors.affiliation: UIC/NIH Center for Botanical Dietary Supplements Research, Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612, USA.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schinkovitz
authors.forename: Samuel M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Pro
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Main
authors.forename: Shao-Nong
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Birgit U
authors.initials: BU
authors.lastname: Jaki
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Lankin
authors.forename: Guido F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Pauli
mesh_terms: D015107:4-Butyrolactone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D029971:Angelica sinensis / Q000737:chemistry*; D015394:Molecular Structure; D019906:Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular; D010796:Phthalic Anhydrides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry; D013237:Stereoisomerism
chemical_list: D010796:Phthalic Anhydrides; C027820:ligustilide; D015107:4-Butyrolactone; C026105:butylidenephthalide
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