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Lavender is a valuable perennial plant from the Lamiaceae family. It is grown mainly for its essential oil, but it also contains polar bioactive compounds such as polyphenols and coumarins. Their level depends on the species, cultivars, geographical origin, climatic conditions, harvest time and extraction method. The authors investigated the effect of several extraction procedures (maceration, decoction and ultrasound-assisted extraction) applied to three cultivars of Lavandula angustifolia (Betty’s Blue, Elizabeth, Hidcote) and two cultivars of Lavandula x intermedia (Grosso, Gros Bleu) on the yield of the polyphenolic compounds and antioxidant activity. HPLC analysis showed the presence of rosmarinic acid (2.52–10.82 mg/g), ferulic acid glucoside (2.94–8.67 mg/g), caffeic acid (1.70–3.10 mg/g), morin (1.02–13.63 mg/g), coumarin (1.01–5.97 mg/g) and herniarin (1.05–8.02 mg/g). The content of phenolic acids and flavonoids was higher in lavender, while the content of coumarins was higher in lavandin in all types of extracts. The antioxidant activity was determined by DPPH-EPR assay for antiradical properties (104.58–206.77 μmol Trolox/g) and FRAP assay for reducing properties (79.21–203.06 μmol Trolox/g). The obtained results showed that the cultivar is the dominant factor differentiating the samples. Still, the extraction method plays an important role in the final bioactive substances content and antioxidant properties of obtained extracts.

Kumu injection (KMI) is a common-used traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) preparation made from Picrasma quassioides (D. Don) Benn. rich in alkaloids. An innovative technique for quality assessment of KMI was developed using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) combined with chemometric methods and qualitative and quantitative analysis of multi-components by single marker (QAMS). Nigakinone (PQ-6, 5-hydroxy-4-methoxycanthin-6-one), one of the most abundant alkaloids responsible for the major pharmacological activities of Kumu, was used as a reference substance. Six alkaloids in KMI were quantified, including 6-hydroxy-β-carboline-1-carboxylic acid (PQ-1), 4,5-dimethoxycanthin-6-one (PQ-2), β-carboline-1-carboxylic acid (PQ-3), β-carboline-1-propanoic acid (PQ-4), 3-methylcanthin-5,6-dione (PQ-5), and PQ-6. Based on the outcomes of twenty batches of KMI samples, the contents of six alkaloids were used for further chemometric analysis. By hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), radar plots, and principal component analysis (PCA), all the KMI samples could be categorized into three groups, which were closely related to production date and indicated the crucial influence of herbal raw material on end products of KMI. QAMS combined with chemometric analysis could accurately measure and clearly distinguish the different quality samples of KMI. Hence, QAMS is a feasible and promising method for the quality control of KMI.

The Hemerocallis accessions is widely consumed as nutritious vegetable and traditional medicine in eastern Asia and used as an ornamental flower worldwide. Compared with most other horticultural products, its flower is richer in polyphenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, and anthocyanins. Therefore, the flower has strong antioxidant activity that inhibits cancer cell proliferation, which could used for health and pharmaceutical purposes. The flavonoids composition and distribution in the flowers, and the content varied between different accssions is still unclear. In this context, eight flavonols, two flavones, and two anthocyanins were determined in Hemerocallis flower by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with photodiode array and mass spectrometric detectors. Rutin was the most abundant flavonols and cyanidin 3,5-glucoside and cyanidin 3-rutinoside were the major anthocyanins in Hemerocallis tepals, resulting in flower petal coloration, and their content in the petal was higher than that of the sepal. Hierarchical cluster analysis grouped the 42 accessions into four groups, and they were significantly different ( p < 0.05) from each other in the ten significant compounds by One-way ANOVA. Overall, the qualitative and quantitative analysis of flavonoid constituents in six floral parts of 42 Hemerocallis accessions were elucidated, which could be helpful for the food and pharmaceutical industries, and lay the foundation for the Hemerocallis flower color research.

Anthocyanins are one of the most important water-soluble pigments in the nature. Interests in the research of anthocyanins are increasing due to its nutritional value and biological activity. Extraction, separation and qualitative and quantitative analysis of anthocyanins are indispensable and important results in the study of anthocyanins. This article briefly outlines the main extraction processes of anthocyanins, focusing on describing the qualitative and quantitative analysis methods of anthocyanins in details. High performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry can be used for qualitative and quantitative analysis. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscope and other methods such as thin-layer chromatography, UV—visible spectroscopy and infrared spectrometer can be used for qualitative and analysis. Single pH method, Subtraction method, pH differential method can be used for quantitative and analysis. Graphical Abstract

Results of an investigation of the action of various pyridinic and acetylenic brighteners during the electrodeposition of nickel are reported here. The focus was on the qualitative and quantitative analysis of the individual compounds 1-(3-sulphopropyl)-pyridinium betaine (PPS) and sulphopropylated 2-butyne-1,4-diol (HBOPS) and their reaction products. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a mass spectrometric detector (HPLC-MS) and a diode array detector in the UV range (HPLC-UV) were used to examine the various additives and the cathodic reaction products. PPS is almost completely hydrogenated to the piperidine compound (3-piperidin-1-yl-propane-1-sulphonate, PIPS) at the catalytically active nickel electrode; as intermediate products, only tetrahydrogenated pyridine (THPPS) compounds occur in the solution, in low concentrations. The entire hydrogenation chain takes place on the surface; partially hydrogenated products are either not desorbed at all or only desorbed in small quantities. Further by-products are dimers and after ring cleavage a pentylamine derivative {3-(pentylamino)-1-propanesulphonic acid, PAPS}. Via the olefinic intermediate stage, the butynediol compound (HBOPS) reacts to become sulphopropylated butanediol. After elimination of water, this forms butanoxy-propanesulphonate in a further hydrogenation step. Graphical Abstract

In this work, phosphorus-doped carbon dots (P-DESCDs) were successfully prepared using choline chloride/lactic acid type deep eutectic solvent and phosphoric acid as ingredients, and (3-aminopropyl) trimethoxysilane was used as a bridge to graft P-DESCDs onto the silica surface to obtain a new mixed-mode stationary phase (Sil-P-DESCDs) for reversed-phase and hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography. The successful preparation of the stationary phase was confirmed by laser scanning confocal microscopy, elemental analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry. Interestingly, the doping of phosphorus greatly improved the separation performance and hydrophilicity of the Sil-P-DESCDs column. The Sil-P-DESCDs column was found to have certain hydrophobicity, hydrogen bonding ability and shape selectivity by Tanaka and Engelhardt standard test mixtures, and a series of hydrophilic and hydrophobic compounds such as alkylbenzenes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, sulfonamides, aromatic amines, phenols, flavonoids, nucleoside bases, and alkaloids. In addition, the effects of mobile phase ratio, column temperature, flow rate, salt concentration, and pH on the retention of analytes on Sil-P-DESCDs columns were investigated. Finally, the Sil-P-DESCDs column was applied to the qualitative and quantitative analysis of calcein-7-glucoside in the real sample of medicinal Astragalus pellets, and it was found at a concentration of 0.02 mg/mL. Graphical Abstract

In vitro cultures give the opportunity to perform the phytochemical studies on the protected species without harvesting the plant material from the natural environment. Shoots of Eryngium alpinum L. were multiplied on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium in various systems, namely on the solid media and in two liquid cultures—stationary and agitated, as well as via regeneration from callus. The biomass increments were closely correlated with the number of shoots arising from one explant, which was connected with the supplementation of the culture media with the studied plant growth regulators. The methanolic extracts from shoots grown in the tested systems were subjected to phenolic acids and flavonoids qualitative and quantitative analysis. Biomass from in vitro shoot cultures accumulated from 19.59 to 32.95 times more phenolic acids [the total content ranged from 272.52 to 458.38 mg/100 g dry weight (DW)] and from 3.02 to 4.43 times more flavonoids (the total content ranged from 100.03 to 146.98 mg/100 g DW), depending on the culture system, than the extracts from basal leaves from the intact plant (13.91 and 33.16 mg/100 g DW, respectively). The phenolics present in shoot cultures include seven phenolic acids—3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic, caftaric, caffeic, neochlorogenic, chlorogenic, isochlorogenic, and rosmarinic acids, and three flavonoids—isoquercetin, quercitrin and robinin. The best system for shoot proliferation resulting in the highest biomass growth and phenolic acids and flavonoids accumulation was solid culture on MS medium with BAP, IAA, and GA3 (each 1.0 mg/l). The aim of this work was to check the effect of various culture systems (stationary and agitated, on solidified and in liquid media) on the production of phenolic compounds in E. alpinum shoots cultured in vitro.Key messageThis is the first report on phenolic acids and flavonoids estimation in Eryngium alpinum in vitro biomass from different culture systems.

Systematic study of anthocyanins has been demonstrated as a tool in quality control using typical anthocyanin profiles of berry fruits. High prices of polyphenol rich fruits, such as pomegranate, aronia, and blueberry, often lead to adulteration of their juices with synthetic substitutes and/or cheaper fruits. The main focus of the study was to establish anthocyanin markers and use them to detect potential frauds and as a tool for authentication of commercial juices containing blueberries, aronia, and pomegranates. An HPLC/DAD/MSn for qualitative and quantitative analysis of 18 commercial fruit juices was used. It was found that delphinidin 3,5-diglucoside, cyanidin-3,5-diglucoside, and pelargonidin 3,5-diglucoside can serve as markers for pomegranates, and cyanidin-3-galactoside for aronia, and the content of malvidin and delphinidin derivatives can distinguish blueberries from bilberries. Quantitative data for anthocyanins content were used for establishing the ranges for individual and total anthocyanins content that were used to estimate fruit content. Based on the established markers, the study has revealed that 15 juice samples are authentic, since they contain declared fruits, but six of them have lower total anthocyanin content than expected from the declared fruit content. For juices containing different fruits, it is difficult to distinguish the origin of anthocyanins and correlate to all fruits present, but still the total anthocyanin content can be used to estimate the fruit content and thus for quality control.

Fenugreek seeds are known as a source of various compounds, the most common of which are steroidal saponins. However, despite the growing interest in this plant material as a healing agent, spice and dietary supplement ingredient, the composition of Polish fenugreek seeds remains unknown. Therefore, the steroidal saponin complex in the seeds of cultivated in Poland was qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed by the HPLC-ELSDESI-MS method. Two C-18 columns connected in series were used for the first time in analysis of fenugreek saponins and ELS detector parameters were optimized. A total of 26 furostanol saponins were revealed, of which 24 were tentatively identified. The HPLC-ELSD method developed for quantitative analysis was preliminarily validated and the determined amount of steroidal saponins in Polish fenugreek seeds was 0.14 %.

To better control the quality of saponins, ensure their biological activity and clinical therapeutic effect, and expand the development and application of saponins, this paper systematically and comprehensively reviews the separation and analytical methods of saponins in the past decade. Since 2010, the electronic databases of PubMed, Google Scholar, ISI Web of Science, Science Direct, Wiley, Springer, CNKI (National Knowledge Infrastructure, CNKI), Wanfang Med online, and other databases have been searched systematically. As a result, it is found that ionic liquids and high-performance countercurrent chromatography are the most popular extraction and separation techniques for saponins, and the combined chromatography technique is the most widely used method for the analysis of saponins. Liquid chromatography can be used in combination with different detectors to achieve qualitative or quantitative analysis and quality control of saponin compounds in medicinal materials and their preparations. This paper provides the latest valuable insights and references for the analytical methods and continued development and application of saponins.