Reversed-phase liquid chromatographic separation and simultaneous profiling of steroidal glycoalkaloids and their aglycones

• Published in: Journal of Chromatography A 1999-11, Vol.863 (1), p.25-35
• Main Authors: Kuronen, Pirjo, Väänänen, Tiina, Pehu, Eija
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aglycones; Alkaloids; Alkaloids - analysis; Analytical chemistry; Biological and medical sciences; Chemistry; Chromatographic methods and physical methods associated with chromatography; Chromatography, Liquid; Chromatography, Thin Layer; Exact sciences and technology; Food industries; Fruit and vegetable industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Glycoalkaloids; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Indicators and Reagents; Other chromatographic methods; Particle Size; Reproducibility of Results; Solanum tuberosum - chemistry; Solutions; Solvents; Steroidal glycoalkaloids; Steroids - analysis; Temperature; Toxins
• ISSN: 0021-9673
• DOI: 10.1016/S0021-9673(99)00954-1

Improved and simplified reversed-phase liquid chromatographic conditions for the separation and simultaneous profiling of both steroidal glycoalkaloids and their aglycones, having solanidane- or spirosolane-type structures, are described. The most reproducible retention behavior for these ionizable compounds on C 18 columns was achieved under isocratic and gradient elution conditions using acetonitrile in combination with triethylammonium phosphate buffer at pH 3.0, when basic functional groups of solutes and silanol groups on the silica are fully protonated minimizing ionic interactions. Gradient elution was the only feasible approach for the simultaneous separation of steroidal glycoalkaloids and their aglycones. A Zorbax SB C 18 column, specially designed for low-pH separations, showed good performance in critical separations. The impurities of the commercial tomatine and tomatidine standards were studied and confirmed using mass spectrometric, liquid chromatographic and thin-layer chromatographic methods.