Sonication and liquid chromatography as a rapid technique for extraction and fractionation of plant material

A fast method of extraction and isolation of the major compounds of Lychnophora ericoides Mart. is described which uses only 100 g of dried, ground plant material and small amounts of solvent and solid phases. The method combines extraction by sonication with a mixture of non-miscible solvents, rapid pre-separation of the crude extract by vacuum-liquid chromatography (silica gel 60H), and separation by preparative, reversed-phase HPLC or classical liquid chromatography with polyvinylpyrrolidone. Eighteen compounds (flavonoids and sesquiterpene lactones) were isolated by this method and identified by spectrometric methods, namely 7,4′-dihydroxy-flavonol, 5,7-dihydroxy-3-methoxy-flavonol, galangine, 7,4′-dihydroxy-dihydroflavonol, 5,7,4′-trihydroxy-dihydroflavonol, 7-hydroxy-4′-methoxy-dihydroflavonol, pinobanksin, 5,7′-dihydroxy-4′-hydroxy-flavanone, 7-hydroxy-4′-methoxy-flavanone, 5,7-dihydroxy-flavone, acacetin, 7-hydroxy-3′,4′-dihydroxy-isoflavone, 15-desoxigoiazensolide, 2′,3′-dihydro-15-desoxygoyazensolide, eremantholides A and C, 4,5-dihydroeremantholide A and lychnopholide.