Qualitative and quantitative determination of major xanthones in Swertia speciosa by high performance liquid chromatography Negi Jagmohan S., Singh Pramod, Rawat M.S.M., Pant Geeta Joshi nee* Department of Chemistry, HNB Garhwal University, Srinagar, Garhwal, 246 174, Uttarakhand, India. *Corresponding author: Geeta Joshi nee Pant, E-mail: geeta_joshi4f54@rediffmail.com
Abstract High performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) method was developed and validated for the determination of two xanthones, 1,2,6,8-tetrahydroxyxanthone (SR1) and 2,8-dihydroxy-1,6-dimethoxyxanthone (SR2) in leaves and rhizomes of Swertia speciosa. The extracts were analyzed on C18 column using an isocratic mobile phase which consists of MeOH and H2O at the flow rate of 1 ml/min. Identification of xanthone derivatives was done by using UV variable λ detector at 260 nm. The limit of detection obtained for the analytes were in the range of 0.86–2.24 ppm. We had planned to quantify the major bioactives in S. speciosa and to compare their variation with seasons and altitudes. Maximum concentration of SR1 and SR2 was found in S. speciosa rhizomes collected from Hemkund (4000 m high), Uttarakhand, India. Overall, results show that the concentration of bioactives increase with altitude and in samples collected in between Sep.-Oct. which seems to be the period of prime potency and should be the harvesting period. Top Keywords HPLC fingerprinting, Swertia speciosa, Gentianaceae, Quantitative assessment, 1,2,6,8-tetrahydroxyxanthone, 2,8-dihydroxy-1,6-dimethoxyxanthone. Top |