Analysis and stability of the constituents of artichoke and St. John's wort tinctures by HPLC-DAD and HPLC-MS

Total cannabidiol (CBD) concentrations and yields from traditional extraction methods: Percolation vs. maceration

Medicinal plants have been valued for many generations due to their biosynthetic advantages generating pharmacologically active molecules. This is especially the case when it comes to cannabinoids from Cannabis. In these experiments we mimicked typical herbal home extractions and measured the yield of total decarboxylated CBD ("total CBD") from percolations and macerations done at the common duration of 2 weeks in duplicate independent extractions. Analysis was performed by GC-FID on triplicate samples from each extraction. Results demonstrated a significant extraction superiority of percolation over maceration. Percolation extracted 80.1% of the total CBD in the hemp biomass as compared to the 2-week time point at 63.5% recovery. Our results demonstrate a significant increase in total CBD yield from percolation, as compared to maceration. Highest solvent recovery was also through percolation, but overall solvent recovery was fairly consistent with the maceration method, after pressing. Under these conditions of extracting lipophilic cannabidiol in 95% ethanol, these data demonstrate that percolation is significantly superior to maceration in total CBD yield. These observations will likely apply to the extraction of lipophilic constituents from other herbs and botanical medicines.

Optimization of the extraction procedure for the determination of phenolic acids and flavonoids in the leaves of globe artichoke (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus L.)

Globe artichoke (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus L.) is not only used as a vegetable and ornamental plant, but also as important medicinal plant for the treatment of dyspeptic disorders. The European Pharmacopoeia describes a method for the quality assessment of dry artichoke leaves, which is time-consuming and requires huge amounts of organic solvents. In this study, an ultrasound-assisted extraction method was studied, which proved to be more efficient than the standard protocol of the European Pharmacopoeia, since it led to comparable results, was faster and easier to handle, and was more sustainable due to a reduced need for organic solvents.

Investigation of impact of storage conditions on Hypericum perforatum L. dried total extract

Hypericum perforatum L. (Hypericaceae) has been widely prescribed for mild to moderate depression following the release of promising results in clinical trials. However, it is known that its constituents may be affected by milieu. The stability complexities of the constituents of H. perforatum have gained interest in recent years. The aim of the present study was to examine the impact of storage conditions on H. perforatum total extract simultaneously under different storage conditions. Temperature, humidity, and light conditions were evaluated. Comparative analyses of methanol extracts were conducted using high performance liquid chromatographydiode array detection for chlorogenic acid, rutin, hyperoside, isoquercitrin, quercitrin, quercetin, amentoflavone, pseudohypericin, hyperforin, and hypericin. Analysis and extraction were performed using a validated method. The fluctuation of the constituents of the plant extract has been demonstrated. Among these components, chlorogenic acid was the most stable. Hyperforin, hypericin, and pseudohypericin were more stable than the flavonoids at −20°C, in the 6^th month. As estimated, decay was lowest at −20°C and highest at 40°C–75% relative humidity for the analyzed constituents. Except for hyperforin, light protection decreased the breakdown of components within 4 months. However, at the 6^th month, equivalent changes were seen for all constituents. Degradation of the constituents at −20°C indicates the importance of stability tests in analysis studies covering time and storage conditions.

Dual Wavelength RP-HPLC Method for Simultaneous Determination of Two Antispasmodic Drugs: An Application in Pharmaceutical and Human Serum

A reverse phase stability indicating HPLC method for simultaneous determination of two antispasmodic drugs in pharmaceutical parenteral dosage forms (injectable) and in serum has been developed and validated. Mobile phase ingredients consist of Acetonitrile : buffer : sulfuric acid 0.1 M (50 : 50 : 0.3 v/v/v), at flow rate 1.0 mL/min using a Hibar μ Bondapak ODS C18 column monitored at dual wavelength of 266 nm and 205 nm for phloroglucinol and trimethylphloroglucinol, respectively. The drugs were subjected to stress conditions of hydrolysis (oxidation, base, acid, and thermal degradation). Oxidation degraded the molecule drastically while there was not so much significant effect of other stress conditions. The calibration curve was linear with a correlation coefficient of 0.9999 and 0.9992 for PG and TMP, respectively. The drug recoveries fall in the range of 98.56% and 101.24% with 10 pg/mL and 33 pg/mL limit of detection and limit of quantification for both phloroglucinol and trimethylphloroglucinol. The method was validated in accordance with ICH guidelines and was applied successfully to quantify the amount of trimethylphloroglucinol and phloroglucinol in bulk, injectable form and physiological fluid. Forced degradation studies proved the stability indicating abilities of the method.

1968–2008: 40 Years of Franco F. Vincieri's Natural Products Research

This paper presents an overview of Prof. Vincieri's accomplishments in his career as a researcher in the field of pharmacognosy (pharmaceutical biology), analytical phytochemistry and pharmaceutical technology applied to herbal drug preparations at the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences of the University of Florence. This article is a recognition of his valuable contributions to these research fields, especially for his outstanding and innovative interdisciplinary studies on the quality control of herbal drugs, herbal drug preparations, herbal medicinal products, botanical food supplements, and some “special foods” such as grapes, wines, olives and olive oil.

Content Analysis and Stability Evaluation of Selected Commercial Preparations of St. John's Wort

Content analysis and stability studies were performed for the commercial products of St. John's wort. Six marketed formulations were analyzed for their hypericin and pseudohypericin content. These products were standardized to contain 0.3% hypericin. Results revealed total hypericin as 7.72-38.57% of the labeled claim with varying concentrations of pseudohypericin. Stability studies were carried out under three different storage conditions: 1) 25+/-2 degrees C, 60+/-5%RH for six months, 2) 40+/-2 degrees C, 75+/-5%RH for six months, and 3) 50 degrees C for one month. Tablet formulations were also analyzed for their hardness and friability. Stability studies revealed significant decrease in the content of the marker compounds with time.

Evaluation of the content and stability of the constituents of mother tinctures and tinctures: The case of Crataegus oxyacantha L. and Hieracium pilosella L

As a part of our investigations on the content and stability of herbal drug preparations, we evaluated the content and stability of tinctures and mother tinctures of Hawthorn leaves and flowers and Hawkweed. Hawthorn preparations are mainly used by patients with cardiac diseases; Hawkweed is employed for the treatment of cellulitis and obesity due to its diuretic properties. Both tinctures (DER 1:5) and mother tinctures (DER 1:10) are herbal preparations reported in the European Pharmacopoeia. The first preparation is obtained using dried herbal drugs; the latter is a homoeopathic preparation obtained with fresh plant material, often used in substitution of tinctures. The aim of this work was to assess the qualitative and quantitative profile of the constituents of the investigated preparations and the chemical stability of their marker constituents from long-term testing using HPLC assays. Characteristic constituents of Hawthorn leaves and flowers are flavonoids such as vitexin-2''-O-rhamnoside and hyperoside and oligomeric procyanidins. Characteristic constituents of Hawkweed are caffeoyl-quinic acid derivatives, flavonoids and a coumarin:umbelliferone. Our investigation showed that Hawthorn mother tincture had a higher concentration of procyanidins with respect to the tincture but the stability of these constituents were very low in both preparations. Total flavonoidic content was 3.33 mg/ml, about 1.5 times more than the content of mother tincture and the shelf-life t(90) was about 7 months for both preparations. For Hawkweed preparations a content of caffeoyl-quinic acid derivatives (ca. 4 mg/ml) was found, but their stability was good only in the tincture. The concentrations of flavonoids and umbelliferone were two times as much in the tincture with respect to the mother tincture. Stability of these two classes of constituents was good for both preparations over a 9-month period.

Identification and quantification of caffeoylquinic acids and flavonoids from artichoke (Cynara scolymus L.) heads, juice, and pomace by HPLC-DAD-ESI/MS(n)

A method for the identification and quantification of phenolic compounds from artichoke (Cynara scolymus L.) heads, juice, and pomace by HPLC with diode array and mass spectrometric detection was developed. Among the 22 major compounds, 11 caffeoylquinic acids and 8 flavonoids were detected. Quantification of individual compounds was carried out by external calibration. Apigenin 7-O-glucuronide was found to be the major flavonoid in all samples investigated. 1,5-Di-O-caffeoylquinic acid represented the major hydroxycinnamic acid, with 3890 mg/kg in artichoke heads and 3269 mg/kg in the pomace, whereas in the juice 1,3-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid (cynarin) was predominant, due to the isomerization during processing. Total phenolic contents of approximately 12 g/kg on a dry matter basis revealed that artichoke pomace is a promising source of phenolic compounds that might be recovered and used as natural antioxidants or functional food ingredients.