Bioactivity-guided isolation of antimicrobial coumarins from Heracleum mantegazzianum Sommier & Levier (Apiaceae) fruits by high-performance counter-current chromatography
Highlights
- •
- Bioassay-guided HPCCC fractionation of Heracleum mantegazzianum was performed.
- •
- A scalable HPCC process from analytical to semi-preparative isolation was developed.
- •
- A broad antimicrobial study was performed on the isolated compounds and fractions.
- •
- Xanthotoxin exhibited the most prominent antimicrobial activity.
- •
- Synergy in antimicrobial activity of furanocoumarins is suggested.
Abstract
An efficient strategy, based on bioassay-guided fractionation, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and high-performance counter-current chromatography (HPCCC), was established to purify and evaluate the bioactive compounds from the dichloromethane extract of the fruits of Heracleum mantegazzianum Sommier & Levier (Apiaceae). The quaternary solvent system n-heptane–ethyl acetate–methanol–water (6:5:6:5 v/v) was used in the reversed phase mode. Using this method, in a single run, seven fractions were isolated, among them three were the pure furanocoumarins: pimpinellin, imperatorin, and phellopterin. In order to purify xanthotoxin a more polar system (1:1:1:1 v/v) was further applied. The antimicrobial activity of extract, chromatographic fractions, and single compounds were in the range of MIC = 0.03–1 mg mL−1. Xanthotoxin may have priority as a compound of further interest based on its antimicrobial activity. For the first time, an extensive antimicrobial study was performed for pimpinellin and phellopterin.
Keywords
- Heracleum mantegazzianum;
- High-performance counter-current chromatography;
- Furanocoumarins;
- Antimicrobial activity
Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
