Ultraviolet derivatization of steroidal saponin in garlic and commercial garlic products as p-nitrobenzoate for liquid chromatographic determination

A method is described for determination of the steroidal saponin, eruboside B, originating in garlic and garlic products as the p-nitrobenzoyl chloride (PNBC) derivative by reversed-phase liquid chromatography (with ultraviolet detection at 260 nm. Proto-eruboside B was extracted from garlic (Allium sativum L.); subjected to solid-phase extraction (SPE) with a C18 cartridge, Florisil column chromatography, and silica gel column chromatography; and then enzymatically converted to eruboside B, which was applied as an external standard. Steroidal saponins in garlic and commercial garlic products were extracted with methanol and purified by SPE cartridges, followed by enzymatic treatment. A frostanol saponin such as proto-eruboside B is enzymatically transformed to a spirostanol saponin, eruboside B. After the derivatization with PNBC, the saponin derivative was chromatographed on a C8 column with a gradient elution of (A) 80% aqueous acetonitrile and (B) 100% acetonitrile. The detection limit of the developed method was 1 microg/g for the samples. The method was applied to the analysis of garlic and garlic health food products available in Japan.