Original scientific paper

HPLC Analysis of Esculin and Fraxin in Horse-Chestnut Bark (Aesculus hippocastanum L.)

Gordana Stanić ; Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Zagreb, A. Kovačića 1, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Blaženka Juričić ; Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Zagreb, A. Kovačića 1, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Dragomir Brkić ; Department of Botany, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Zagreb, A. Kovačića 1, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

Selective and sensitive HPLC method was used for simultaneous determination of esculin and fraxin in a methanolic extract of horse-chestnut bark (A. hippocastanum L.). The samples were separated on a LiChrospher RP 18 column (150 4 mm i.d.) with the mobile phase consisting of acetic acid, 1%, and methanol (84:16 v/v) at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min and quantified by measuring the UV absorbance at 340 nm. The assay of esculin and fraxin is linear over the range 0.02–2 mg/mL. It was shown that the bark gathered from older branch sections (5 cm in diameter) during the four seasons contained the greatest amount of esculin (3.6–6%) and fraxin (1.5–2.6%). Nevertheless, the bark of horse-chestnut tree (40 cm in diameter) was found to be the richest source of esculin (7.9%) as well as of fraxin (3.1%). In contrast, the bark of young shoots contained the lowest amount of esculin (0.4–0.8%) and fraxin (0.2–0.3%).

Keywords

Horse-chestnut bark; esculin; fraxin; seasonal variation; reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography; UV detection

Hrčak ID:

132302

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/132302

Publication date:

1.12.1999.

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