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A high-speed counter-current chromatographic (HSCCC) method using ethyl acetate-water as solvent system was established to separate isoquercetin from Toona sinensis. In an HSCCC single separation, the sample sizes of ethanol extract were optimized from 203 to 1200 mg. The results showed that the yield of the target compound increased from 4 to 26 mg, and the corresponding purity decreased from 93.30 to 81.82%. To further improve the yield and purity, liquid-liquid-refining extraction was introduced to pretreat the ethanol extract and enrich the target compound. The ethanol extract was extracted with n-hexane-ethyl acetate-method-water (1:5:1:5, v/v) and ethyl acetate-water in turn to remove the low-polarity and high-polarity impurities and obtain the crude sample. Under the similar conditions, 85.25 mg of the target compound with the purity of 95.12% was separated from 240 mg of the crude sample. Subsequently, a consecutive HSCCC was developed to obtain 257 mg of the target compound from 720 mg of crude sample, which was equivalent to 14.4 g of ethanol extract. This method improved the purity of the target compound, but more importantly, the sample size can reach 12 times of the maximum sample size of the ethanol extract in a single run., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Large-scale preparation of target compounds from complex samples is facing great challenges. In the present study, an efficient strategy for large-scale preparation of target compound was proposed and successfully applied in the separation of active components from Toona sinensis. The pretreatment technology of liquid-liquid refining extraction (LLRE) combined with consecutive high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) was used to process hundred grams of extractions. Firstly, two phase solvent systems composed of n-hexane-ethyl acetate-methanol-water (5:5:5:5, v/v) and (2:5:2:5, v/v) were used to remove low polar and high polar impurities from 100 g crude extracts of T. sinensis, respectively, and 9.25 g of crude sample was obtained. And then, n-hexane-ethyl acetate-methanol-water (2.5:5:2.5:5, v/v) was used as the solvent system for HSCCC separation. The isocratic elution mode with max loading and consecutive injections mode were investigated to obtain more target compound. As a result, ethyl gallate with purity of 97% was successfully separated by 5 times consecutive counter-current chromatography. The separation was repeated once. Finally, ethyl gallate (3.73 g) was isolated from 9.25 g of crude sample (100 g crude extracts). The results demonstrated that the yield increased from 0.26 g/h/L of untreated crude extract to 0.93 g/h/L of LLRE pre-treated sample for single injection, and further increased to 1.62 g/h/L for 5 consecutive injections mode with the present method., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors have declared no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The research of natural active substances is facing the problems of low separation efficiency and active component loss due to the complex composition of natural extracts. In this study, a strategy based on liquid-liquid-refining extraction and high-speed counter-current chromatography was established to solve this problem. Separation of an active compound with the α-amylase inhibitory activity from Taraxacum mongolicum Hand. -Mazz. was presented as an example. The ethyl acetate extract (FA) from T. mongolicum exhibited the potential effect on α-amylase and was divided into 8 fractions (FB-FI) by liquid-liquid-refining extraction. The results showed that the activity of FE was higher than the others. According to the results of liquid-liquid-refining extraction, a two-phase solvent system with a slightly higher polarity was selected to separate the fraction by HSCCC, and 110 mg of compound was separated from 900 mg FA using the model of consecutive separation. The compound was identified as luteolin by 1 H NMR and 13 C NMR. The IC 50 of luteolin against α-amylase was 42.33±0.82 μg/mL. Then, molecular docking was introduced to study the relationship between the activity and the structure. The results showed that luteolin enfolded in the catalytic site of α-amylase through hydrogen bonds, van der Waals force and hydrophobic interaction, thus inhibiting the activity of the enzyme., Competing Interests: Decleration of Competing Interest The authors have declared no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

The intermittently pressed tubing was introduced in type-I counter-current chromatographic system as the separation column to improve the separation performance in the present study. The separations were performed with two different solvent systems composed of 1-butanol-acetic acid-water (4:1:5, v/v) (BAW) and hexane-ethyl acetate-methanol-0.1 M HCl (1:1:1:1, v/v) (HEMW) using dipeptides and DNP-amino acids as test samples, respectively. The chromatographic performance was evaluated in terms of retention of the stationary phase (Sf), theoretical plate (N) and peak resolution (Rs). In general, the type-I planetary motion with the multilayer coil of non-modified standard tubing can yield the best separation at a low revolution speed of 200 rpm with lower flow rate. The present results with intermittently pressed tubing indicated that the performance was also optimal at the revolution speed of 200 rpm where the lower flow rate was more beneficial to retention of stationary phase and resolution. In the moderately hydrophobic two-phase solvent system composed of hexane-ethyl acetate-metanol-0.1 M hydrochloric acid (1:1:1:1, v/v), DNP-amino acids were separated with Rs at 1.67 and 1.47, respectively, with 12.66% of stationary phase retention at a flow rate of 0.25 ml/min. In the polar solvent system composed of 1-butanol-acetic acid-water (4:1:5, v/v), dipeptide samples were resolved with Rs at 2.18 and 18.75% of stationary phase retention at a flow rate of 0.25 ml/min. These results indicate that the present system substantially improves the separation efficiency of type-I counter-current chromatographic system., (Published by Elsevier B.V.)

In the present study, a novel model of type-I counter-current chromatography was developed to simplify the separation column manufacture and extend its application ranges. In this system, a multilayer coil was used as the separation column of type-I counter-current chromatography for the first time. The chromatographic performance of this apparatus was evaluated in terms of retention of the stationary phase (Sf), theoretical plate (N) and peak resolution (Rs) using dipeptides and DNP-amino acids as test samples with two classic solvent systems composed of 1-butanol-acetic acid-water (4:1:5, v/v) (BAW) and hexane-ethyl acetate-methanol-0.1 M HCl (1:1:1:1, v/v) (HEMW), respectively. The results indicated that the performance was optimal at the revolution speed of 200 rpm. The lower flow rate was more beneficial to retention of stationary phase and peak resolution. Over all results of our study revealed that the new type-I counter-current chromatography with a multilayer coil has a high application potential., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

A rational liquid-liquid extraction approach was established to pre-treat samples for high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC). n-Hexane-ethyl acetate-methanol-water (4:5:4:5, v/v) and (1:5:1:5, v/v) were selected as solvent systems for liquid-liquid extraction by systematically screening K of target compounds to remove low- and high-polarity impurities in the sample, respectively. After liquid-liquid extraction was performed, 1.4g of crude sample II was obtained from 18.5g of crude sample I which was extracted from the flowers of Robinia pseudoacacia L., and then separated with HSCCC by using a solvent system composed of n-hexane-ethyl acetate-methanol-water (1:2:1:2, v/v). As a result, 31mg of robinin and 37mg of kaempferol 7-O-α-l-rhamnopyranoside were isolated from 200mg of crude sample II in a single run of HSCCC. A scale-up separation was also performed, and 160mg of robinin with 95% purity and 188mg of kaempferol 7-O-α-l-rhamnopyranoside with 97% purity were produced from 1.2g of crude sample II., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A sample pretreatment method using acid-base extraction was established for pH-zone-refining counter-current chromatography (CCC) to increase the yield of the target compound. As the most important step, selection of two-phase solvent system for pH-zone-refining CCC should follow some rules. One of these rules is that when pH of two-phase solvent system is around 2 (for an acidic analyte) or 10 (for a basic analyte), partition coefficient values of K(acid) or K(base) should be much greater than 1. According to this rule, a new pretreatment method was developed that could substantially increase the yield of the target compound in pH-zone-refining CCC. The separation of the crude alkaloids extracted from the seeds of Sophora alopecuroides was selected as an example to show the advantage of this method. Before CCC separation, 20 g of crude sample was extracted 3 times with the selected two-phase solvent system composed of MtBE-CH₃CN-H₂O (2:2:3, v/v), where pH of the upper phase was adjusted with triethylamine to 10. A 10 g amount of the second basic extract thus obtained was subjected to pH-zone-refining CCC separation. As a result, 169 mg of sophoramin and 696 mg of sophoearpin were isolated from the second basic extract, where the yields have been doubled compared with those of the untreated sample (crude sample). Experimental results showed that the present method for pretreating the crude sample could produce substantially higher yields of target compounds in pH-zone-refining CCC., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The performance of protein separation using the figure-8 column configuration in centrifugal counter-current chromatography was investigated under various flow rates and revolution speeds. The separation was performed with a two-phase solvent system composed of polyethylene glycol 1000/potassium phosphate each at 12.5% (w/w) in water and with lysozyme and myoglobin as test samples. In order to improve tracing of the elution curve, a hollow fiber membrane dialyzer was inserted at the inlet of the UV detector. The results showed that the retention of stationary phase (Sf) and resolution (Rs) increased with decreased flow rate and increased revolution speed. The highest Rs of approximately 1 was obtained at a flow rate of 0.01 mL/min under a revolution speed of 1200 rpm with a 3.4 mL capacity column., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The performance of the figure-8 column configuration in centrifugal counter-current chromatography was investigated by changing the angle between the column axis (a line through the central post and the peripheral post on which the figure-8 coil is wound) and the centrifugal force. The first series of experiments was performed using a polar two-phase solvent system composed of 1-butanol-acetic acid-water (4:1:5, v/v) to separate two dipeptide samples, Trp-Tyr and Val-Tyr, at a flow rate of 0.05 ml/min at 1000 rpm. When the column angle was changed from 0° (column axis parallel to the centrifugal force) to 45° and 45° to 90° (column axis perpendicular to the centrifugal force), peak resolution (Rs) changed from 1.93 (Sf=37.8%) to 1.54 (Sf=30.6%), then to 1.31 (Sf=40.5%) with the lower mobile phase and from 1.21 (Sf=38.8%) to 1.10 (Sf=34.4%), then to 0.99 (Sf=42.2%) with the upper mobile phase, respectively, where the stationary phase retention, Sf, is given in parentheses. The second series of experiments was similarly performed with a more hydrophobic two-phase solvent system composed of hexane-ethyl acetate-methanol-0.1M hydrochloric acid (1:1:1:1, v/v) to separate three DNP-amino acids, DNP-glu, DNP-β-ala and DNP-ala, at a flow rate of 0.05 ml/min at 1000 rpm. When the column angle was altered from 0° to 45° and 45° to 90°, Rs changed from 1.77 (1st peak/2nd peak) and 1.52 (2nd peak/3rd peak) (Sf=27.3%) to 1.24 and 1.02 (Sf=35.4%), then to 1.69 and 1.49 (Sf=42.1%) with the lower mobile phase, and from 1.73 and 0.84 (SF=41.2%) to 1.44 and 0.73 (Sf=45.6%), then to 1.21 and 0.63 (Sf=55.6%) with the upper mobile phase, respectively. The performance of figure-8 column at 0° and 90° was also compared at different flow rates. The results show that Rs was increased with decreased flow rate yielding the highest value at the 0° column angle with lower mobile phase. The overall results of our studies indicated that a 0° column angle for the figure-8 column enhances the mixing of two phases in the column to improve peak resolution while decreasing the stationary phase retention by interrupting the laminar flow of the mobile phase., (Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Three types of novel coiled column configurations, i.e. a triangular coiled column and elliptical coiled columns I and II, were designed for type-I countercurrent chromatography and their performances were evaluated with two solvent systems each with suitable test samples. Three dinitrophenyl (DNP) amino acids (DNP-DL-glu, DNP-β-ala and DNP-L-ala) were separated with a moderately hydrophobic two-phase solvent system composed of hexane-ethyl acetate-metanol-0.1 M hydrochloric acid (1:1:1:1, v/v), while two dipeptides (tryptophyl-tyrosine and valyl-tyrosine) were separated with a polar solvent system composed of 1-butanol-acetic acid-water (4.75:0.25:5, v/v). The overall results indicated that the performance of compact type-I countercurrent chromatography was improved by elliptical coiled column I which was mounted with its maximum coil diameter perpendicular to the surface of the column holder. Hydrodynamic effects involved in these separations were discussed., (Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

The performance of type-I high-speed counter-current chromatography was evaluated by changing the column inclination against the rotating centrifugal force field. The separations were performed with two different solvent systems composed of 1-butanol-acetic acid-water (4.75:0.25:5, v/v) (BAW) and hexane-ethyl acetate-methanol-0.1 M HCl (1:1:1:1, v/v) (HEMW) using dipeptides and DNP-amino acid as test samples, respectively. A set of short coiled columns connected in series is mounted around the holder hub in two different ways: in the parallel orientation, all column units are arranged in parallel to each other and mounted on the holder at various angles against the horizontal plane. In the zigzag configuration, the neighboring units of the same column are mounted symmetrically forming various angles apart. In the parallel configuration, for both the BAW and HEMW systems, Sf (the retention of stationary phase) first increased as the column angle decreased from 90 degrees to 60 degrees and then decreased, as the column angle further decreased from 60 degrees to 0 degrees, while Rs (peak resolution) continually declined over the entire column angle range from 90 degrees to 0 degrees. But, for both solvent systems, with the zigzag configuration, retention of stationary phase and resolution both decreased as the column angle decreased from 90 degrees to 0 degrees. In general, Sf and Rs for separation of dipeptides in the BAW system, from 90 degrees to 15 degrees, is better for the parallel orientation than for the zigzag configuration. However, at 0 degrees, Sf and Rs are better for the zigzag orientation. In the DNP-amino acid separation with the HEMW system, retention of the stationary phase and Rs for the parallel orientation is better than that for the zigzag orientation from 90 degrees to 30 degrees, whereas from 30 degrees to 0 degrees the results are opposite. Over all results of our studies revealed that the formally used column orientation at 90 degrees inclination yields the highest peak resolution in both solvent systems., (Published by Elsevier B.V.)

The performance of the coiled column of centrifugal counter-current chromatography was investigated by changing the angle between column axis and centrifugal force in the separation of dipeptides or DNP-amino acids each with suitable two-phase solvent systems. In general, retention of the stationary phase (Sf) decreased, and peak resolution (Rs) increased as the column angle was increased. The first series of experiments was performed using a polar two-phase solvent system composed of 1-butanol-acetic acid-water (4:1:5, v/v/v) to separate two dipeptide samples, Trp-Tyr and Val-Tyr, at a flow rate of 1 ml/min at 1, 000 rpm. When the column angle was changed from 0 degrees to 90 degrees , Rs increased from 1.05 (Sf=60.1%) to 1.17 (Sf=38.7%) with the lower phase mobile and from 1.02 (Sf=67.8%) to 1.14 (Sf=47.4%) with the upper phase mobile, respectively. The second series of experiments was similarly performed with a more hydrophobic two-phase solvent system composed of hexane-ethyl acetate-methanol-0.1M hydrochloric acid (1:1:1:1, v/v/v/v) to separate three DNP-amino acids, DNP-glu, DNP-beta-ala and DNP-ala, at a flow rate of 1 ml/min at 1, 000 rpm. When the column angle was changed from 0 degrees to 90 degrees , Rs increased from 1.38 (1st peak/2nd peak) and 1.20 (2nd peak/3rd peak) (Sf=61.1%) to 1.66 and 1.45 (Sf=34.4%) with the lower phase mobile and from 1.14 and 0.63 (Sf=72.2%) to 1.53 and 0.87 (Sf=51.1%) with the upper phase mobile, respectively. The overall results of our studies indicate that increasing the column angle against the radially acting centrifugal force enhances the mixing of two phases in the column to improve the peak while decreasing the stationary phase retention by interrupting the laminar flow of the mobile phase., (Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Introduction: Artemisia rupestris L. is a well-known traditional Chinese medicinal plant in Xinjiang. Rupestonic acid is the main active ingredient of A. rupestris L., and has been chosen as a 'marker compound' for the chemical evaluation or quality control of A. rupestris L. and its products. Although HSCCC separation method was developed before, the separation was performed with two steps using the same solvent system, which were time-consuming and waste of the solvents., Objective: To develop a simple HSCCC method for the separation and purification of rupestonic acid in a single run., Methodology: The measurement of partition coefficient (K) was introduced to select the two-phase solvent system. The simple HSCCC method was established according to the selected solvent system for separation and purification of rupestonic acid. The purity of target compound was test by HPLC and the structure was identified by MS, (1)H NMR and (13)C NMR., Results: A total of 72.3 mg of rupestonic acid and 53.5 mg of chrysosptertin B with over 95% purity were yielded from 500 mg extracts of Artemisia rupestris L. in one-step separation., Conclusion: The rupestonic acid was separated in a single run by HSCCC.

A compact type-I coil planet centrifuge has been developed for performing counter-current chromatography. It has a revolution radius of 10 cm and a column holder height of 5 cm compared with 37 and 50 cm in the original prototype, respectively. The reduction in the revolution radius and column length permits application of higher revolution speed and more stable balancing of the rotor which leads us to learn more about its performance and the future potential of type-I coil planet centrifuge. The chromatographic performance of this apparatus was evaluated in terms of retention of the stationary phase (S(f)), peak resolution (R(s)), theoretical plate (N) and peak retention time (t(R)). The results of the experiment indicated that increasing the revolution speed slightly improved both the retention of the stationary phase and the peak resolution while the separation time is remarkably shortened to yield an excellent peak resolution at a revolution speed of 800 rpm. With a 12 ml capacity coiled column, DNP-DL-glu, DNP-beta-ala and DNP-l-ala were resolved at R(s) of 2.75 and 2.16 within 90 min at a flow rate of 0.4 ml/min. We believe that the compact type-I coil planet centrifuge has a high analytical potential., (Published by Elsevier B.V.)