Purpose: To isolate and purify sesquiterpene lactones from
Ixeris sonchifolia
(Bunge) Hance by highspeed
counter-current chromatography (HSCCC).
Methods: I. sonchifolia was extracted with water and then loaded on a glass column (10 × 1500 cm
containing 3000g D101 macroporous resin) where various concentrations of aqueous ethanol (0, 10, 30,
50, and 95 %) were used to elute the column successively. The 50 % ethanol fraction was purified by
HSCCC using a solvent system comprised of ethyl acetate: n-butanol: methanol: water (4: 6: 1: 20, v/v),
and semi-preparative high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The chemical structures of the
components obtained were further confirmed by high-resolution mass spectroscopy (MS) and nuclear
magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR).
Results: Three compounds, including ixerin Z1 (0.7 mg), ixerin Z (11.4 mg), and 11, 13α-dihydroixerin Z
(8.2 mg), with purity of 96.2, 98.2, and 98.4 %, respectively, were obtained from 200 mg each of the 50
% ethanol fraction.
Conclusion: HSCCC is a rapid and effective method for isolating and purifying sesquiterpene lactones
from
I. sonchifolia.
