Separation and detection of apricot leaf triterpenes by high-performance thin-layer chromatography combined with direct bioautography and mass spectrometry

• Published in: Journal of Chromatography A 2022-07, Vol.1675, p.463167, Article 463167
• Main Authors: Móricz, Ágnes M., Ott, Péter G.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 2D-HPTLC-MS; HPTLC-Bioassay; Pre-chromatographic derivatization; Triterpenoids; Two-dimensional HPTLC
• ISSN: 0021-9673
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2022.463167

•Separation of five triterpenes by HPTLC using pre-chromatographic derivatization.•2D-HPTLC separation of triterpenes with intermediate derivatization by iodine.•(2D)-HPTLC-MS confirmation of presence of triterpenes.•Separation of ursolic, oleanolic, betulinic, maslinic and corosolic acids in silica.•HPTLC-bioassay of native separated compounds made possible by temporary derivatization. Prunus armeniaca leaf extract was screened for antibacterial compounds by high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC)-direct bioautography using a Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis bacterium. Six chromatographic zones exhibited characteristic bioactivity. Five of them also appeared after derivatization with vanillin-sulfuric acid reagent and could be characterized with HPTLC-electrospray ionization (ESI)-mass spectrometry (MS), suggesting the presence of triterpenoids and the fatty acids linolenic and palmitic acid. To confirm the identification of triterpenoids an HPTLC method using in situ pre-chromatographic derivatization with iodine was developed to separate the closely related triterpenoids. After development, the iodine could be eliminated from the chromatogram (verified by HPTLC-MS), making it suitable for the B. subtilis assay. Ursolic acid, oleanolic acid, betulinic acid, corosolic acid, and maslinic acid were discovered for the first time as antibacterial components of P. armeniaca leaves. Their presence was proved also by 2D-HPTLC combined with intermediate in situ derivatization by iodine.