Dereplication of Phenolics from Cardiospermum corindum by Countercurrent Chromatography Combined with Liquid Chromatography-Electrospray Mass Spectrometry

Cardiospemum corindum L., Sapindaceae, is a medicinal plant used for treating liver diseases and as an anti-ulcer agent. Many phenolic compounds in this genus possess biological activities. However, few of these compounds have been identified in C. corindum. Countercurrent chromatography and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry were thus used as rapid methods for the separation and dereplication of polyphenols. An extract soluble in n-butanol from the aerial parts of C. corindum was initially fractionated by column chromatography. Fractions containing phenolic compounds were separated using one-step countercurrent chromatography, and their compositions were determined by tandem mass spectrometry. Twelve compounds were dereplicated, including quercetin-3-O-arabinoside, isorhamnetin-3-O-arabinoside, hyperoside, and isoquercitrin as major glycosylated flavonoids. The other detected phenolic compounds included protocatechuic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, and 2-(p-coumaroyl)-benzoic acid. (AU)