title: Isolation of quaternary benzo[c]phenanthridine alkaloids from Macleaya microcarpa (MAXIM.) FEDDE: comparison of maceration, Soxhlet extraction and pressurised liquid extraction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Macleaya microcarpa (Papaveraceae family) has been of considerable interest in recent years as a prospective source of quaternary benzo[c]phenanthridine alkaloids (QBAs) related to many pharmaceutical beneficial effects. For this purpose, a quantitative, efficient and fast method to isolate the QBAs from the plant material is required.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To optimise and compare pressurised liquid extraction (PLE) with Soxhlet extraction and maceration in order to estimate extraction conditions for fast and efficient isolation of QBAs contained in the roots of Macleaya microcarpa.
  
  
  METHODS
  The QBAs were extracted by PLE, Soxhlet extraction and maceration at different conditions (solvent, time, etc.). Reversed phase HPLC with diode-array detector was utilised for their determination and quantification. To optimise the PLE procedure, the variable parameters, including temperature (40-150 °C), sample-to-inert material ratio, extraction time (5-30 min) and number of extraction cycles (1-4), were also tested.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Quantitative determination of QBAs resulted in 0.2-2.8 mg/g, 0.3-2.5 mg/g and 0.3-3.1 mg/g for PLE, Soxhlet extraction and maceration. To produce the yields mentioned above, PLE required only up to 30 min compared with 21 h for Soxhlet extraction and 49 days for maceration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PLE provided an effective and fast extraction of QBAs from M. microcarpa roots and can be recommended as an alternative isolation method to conventional techniques for QBAs from the plant sources.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5/A14, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Urbanová
authors.forename: Kristýna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pěnčíková
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gregorová
authors.forename: Barbora
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hohnová
authors.forename: Lenka
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sťavíková
authors.forename: Pavel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Karásek
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roth
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Táborská
mesh_terms: D053119:Benzophenanthridines / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005591:Chemical Fractionation / Q000379:methods*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D028101:Papaveraceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry; D011312:Pressure; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012997:Solvents / Q000737:chemistry; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D053119:Benzophenanthridines; D012997:Solvents