Quality control tests for the crude drug of Conyza filaginoides.
BACKGROUND
Conyza filaginoides (D.C.) Hieron (Asteraceae) is a medicinal Mexican plant highly prized in contemporary Mexico for the treatment of upset stomach and diabetes.


OBJECTIVE
This work was undertaken to develop a suitable high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-diode array detection (DAD) method for quantifying rutin (1), the main active principle from the aerial parts of C. filaginoides.


METHODS
The method was performed using a LiChrospher 100 RP-18 column. The mobile phase was water (containing 0.1% phosphoric acid)-methanol-acetonitrile (80:5:15, v/v) at a flow rate of 1.2 mL min⁻¹.


RESULTS
Limits of detection and quantification were 7.5 and 22.8 μg mL⁻¹, respectively. The main recoveries measured at three concentrations were higher than 98%, with RSD <2%. Quantitative analysis of a few samples showed the presence of high concentrations of 1 (3.6 ± 0.2 g/100 g of dry plant material). The volatile components were extracted by hydrodistillation or head space solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME), and thereafter analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Forty-three chemical constituents representing 90% of the total content of the oil were identified. The major light volatile compounds obtained by HS-SPME revealed a high content of monoterpene hydrocarbons.


CONCLUSIONS
A precise, reliable, and accurate analytical HPLC method to detect and quantify 1 in the crude drug and some preparations were developed and fully validated. The volatile components of the plant are described for the first time. The proposed method would be useful for quality control assurance of this important Mexican plant.
Departamento de Farmacia, Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México , Mexico City 04510 , Mexico.
Berenice
B
Ovalle-Magallanes
Isabel
I
Rivero-Cruz
Rachel
R
Mata
D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D035401:Conyza / Q000737:chemistry*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D057230:Limit of Detection; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D008800:Mexico; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D035261:Plant Components, Aerial; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000592:standards; D011786:Quality Control; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D052617:Solid Phase Microextraction / Q000379:methods
D009822:Oils, Volatile; D010936:Plant Extracts