Efficient Counter-Current Chromatographic Isolation and Structural Identification of Two New Cinnamic Acids from Echinacea Purpurea

Abstract

Two new cinnamic acids, 2- O-caffeoyl-3- O-isoferuloyltartaric (3), and 2, 3-di- O-isoferuloyltartaric acid (5), along with three known caffeic acids, cichoric acid (1), 2- O-caffeoyl-3- O-feruloyltartaric acid (2) and 2- O- caffeoyl-3- O-p-coumaroyltartaric acid (4), have been successfully isolated and purified from Echinacea purpurea. In this study, we investigated an efficient method for the preparative isolation and purification of cinnamic acids from E. purpurea by high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC). The separation was performed using a two-phase solvent composed of n-hexane-ethyl-acetate-methanol-0.5% aqueous acetic acid (1:3:1:4, v/v). The upper phase was used as the stationary phase and the lower phase as the mobile phase, with a flow rate of 1.6 mL/min. From 250 mg of crude extracts, 65.1 mg of 1, 8.3 mg of 2, 4.0 mg of 3, 4.5 mg of 4, and 4.3 mg of 5 were isolated in one-step, with purities of 98.5%, 97.7%, 94.6%, 94.3%, and 98.6%, respectively, as evaluated by HPLC-DAD. The chemical structures were identified by electro spray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and one- and two-dimensional NMR spectra. HSCCC was very efficient for the separation and purification of the cinnamic acids from E. purpurea.