Analysis of Sesquiterpene Lactones, Lignans, and Flavonoids in Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium L.) Using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)−Mass Spectrometry, Reversed Phase HPLC, and HPLC−Solid Phase Extraction−Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

• Published in: Journal of agricultural and food chemistry 2010-10, Vol.58 (20), p.10817-10823
• Main Authors: Aberham, Anita, Cicek, Serhat Sezai, Schneider, Peter, Stuppner, Hermann
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: absinthin; Analytical Methods; Artemisia absinthium; Artemisia absinthium - chemistry; bioactive properties; Biological and medical sciences; chemical constituents of plants; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid - methods; Chromatography, Reverse-Phase - methods; cold storage; flavonoids; Flavonoids - chemistry; Flavonoids - isolation & purification; Food industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; herbal medicines; high performance liquid chromatography; Lactones - chemistry; Lactones - isolation & purification; lignans; Lignans - chemistry; Lignans - isolation & purification; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy - methods; mass spectrometry; Mass Spectrometry - methods; medicinal plants; moisture stability; Molecular Structure; nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy; photostability; phytochemicals; Plant Extracts - chemistry; Plant Extracts - isolation & purification; qualitative analysis; quantitative analysis; Sesquiterpenes - chemistry; Sesquiterpenes - isolation & purification; sesquiterpenoid lactones; solid phase extraction; Solid Phase Extraction - methods; storage temperature; thermal stability
• ISSN: 0021-8561; 1520-5118
• DOI: 10.1021/jf1022059

Today, the medicinal use of wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) is enjoying a resurgence of popularity. This study presents a specific and validated high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)−diode array detection method for the simultaneous determination and quantification of bioactive compounds in wormwood and commercial preparations thereof. Five sesquiterpene lactones, two lignans, and a polymethoxylated flavonoid were baseline separated on RP-18 material, using a solvent gradient consisting of 0.085% (v/v) o-phosphoric acid and acetonitrile. The flow rate was 1.0 mL/min, and chromatograms were recorded at 205 nm. The stability of absinthin was tested exposing samples to light, moisture, and different temperatures. Methanolic and aqueous solutions of absinthin were found to be stable for up to 6 months. This was also the case when the solid compound was kept in the refrigerator at −35 °C. In contrast, the colorless needles, when stored at room temperature, turned yellow. Three degradation compounds (anabsin, anabsinthin, and the new dimer 3′-hydroxyanabsinthin) were identified by HPLC−mass spectrometry and HPLC−solid-phase extraction−nuclear magnetic resonance and quantified by the established HPLC method.