Purification and Characterization of Thermostable Chitinase from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus licheniformis</Emphasis> SK-1

Chitinase was purified from the culture medium of Bacillus licheniformis SK-1 by colloidal chitin affinity adsorption followed by diethylamino ethanol-cellulose column chromatography. The purified enzyme showed a single band on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The molecular size and pI of chitinase 72 (Chi72) were 72 kDa and 4.62 (Chi72) kDa, respectively. The purified chitinase revealed two activity optima at pH 6 and 8 when colloidal chitin was used as substrate. The enzyme exhibited activity in broad temperature range, from 40 to 70°C, with optimum at 55°C. It was stable for 2 h at temperatures below 60°C and stable over a broad pH range of 4.0–9.0 for 24 h. The apparent K _m and V _max of Chi72 for colloidal chitin were 0.23 mg ml⁻¹ and 7.03 U/mg, respectively. The chitinase activity was high on colloidal chitin, regenerated chitin, partially N-acetylated chitin, and chitosan. N-bromosuccinamide completely inhibited the enzyme activity. This enzyme should be a good candidate for applications in the recycling of chitin waste.     

Strong Aphicidal Activity of GlcNAc(β1→4)Glc Disaccharides: Synthesis,Physiological Effects,and Chitinase Inhibition

The synthesis of four GlcNAc(β1→4)Glc disaccharides containing 2‐O‐acetyl and/or 6‐sulfate groups was performed in high yields with total 1,2‐trans stereoselectivity. These disaccharides were evaluated as candidates for insect chitinase inhibition and aphicidal activity. All the compounds prepared displayed physiological effects on M. persicae aphids; however, the inhibition of chitinases of different sources (bacteria, fungus, and aphid) followed different patterns according to subtle structural characteristics.     

Oat (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Avena sativa</Emphasis>) Seed Extract as an Antifungal Food Preservative Through the Catalytic Activity of a Highly Abundant Class I Chitinase

Extracts from different higher plants were screened for the ability to inhibit the growth of Penicillium roqueforti, a major contaminating species in industrial food processing. Oat (Avena sativa) seed extracts exhibited a high degree of antifungal activity and could be used directly on rye bread to prevent the formation of P. roqueforti colonies. Proteins in the oat seed extracts were fractionated by column chromatography and proteins in fractions containing antifungal activity were identified by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and database searches. Identified antifungal candidates included thaumatin-like proteins, 1,3-beta-glucanase, permatin precursor, pathogenesis-related protein type 1, and chitinases of class I and II. Class I chitinase could be specifically removed from the extracts and was found to be indispensable for 50% of the P. roqueforti inhibiting activity. The purified class I chitinase has a molecular weight of approximately 34 kDa, optimal chitinase activity at pH 7, and exists as at least two basic isoforms (pI values of 7.6 and 8.0). Partial sequencing of the class I chitinase isoforms by LC-MS/MS revealed a primary structure with high similarity to class I chitinases of wheat (Triticum aestivum), barley (Hordeum vulgare), and rye (Secale cereale). Oat, wheat, barley, and rye seed extracts were compared with respect to the abundance of the class I chitinase and decrease in antifungal activity when class I chitinase is removed. We found that the oat seed class I chitinase is at least ten times more abundant than the wheat, barley, and rye homologs and that oat seed extracts are highly active toward P. roqueforti as opposed to extracts of other cereal seeds.     

Purification and Analytical Application of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Vigna mungo</Emphasis> Chitinase for Determination of Total Fungal Load of Stored Cereals

Chitinases are glycosyl hydrolases that catalyze the hydrolysis of β-(1,4)-glycosidic bonds in chitin, the major structural polysaccharide presented in the cuticle and gut peritrophic matrix of insects. Two aspartate residues (D143, D145) and one tryptophan (W146) in the Lymantria dispar chitinase are highly conserved residues observed within the second conserved motif of the family 18 chitinase catalytic region. In this study, a chitinase cDNA, LdCht5, was cloned from L. dispar, and the roles of the three residues were investigated using site-directed mutagenesis and substituting them with three other amino acids. Seven mutant proteins, D143E, D145E, W146G, D143E/D145E, D143E/W146G, D145E/W146G, and D143E/D145E/W146G, as well as the wild-type enzyme, were produced using the baculovirus-insect cell line expression system. The enzymatic and kinetic properties of these mutant enzymes were measured using the oligosaccharide substrate MU-(GlcNAc)₃. Among the seven mutants, the D145E, D143E/D145E, and D145E/W146G mutations kept some extant catalytic activity toward MU-(GlcNAc)₃, while the D143E, W146G, D143E/W146G, and D143E/D145E/W146G mutant enzymes were inactivated. Compared with the mutant enzymes, the wild-type enzyme had higher values of k _cat and k _cat / K _m . A study of the multiple point mutations in the second conserved catalytic region would help to elucidate the role of the critical residues and their relationships.     

Purification and Characterization of Chitinase from <Emphasis Type="BoldItalic">Paenibacillus</Emphasis> sp. D1

A 56.56-kDa extracellular chitinase from Paenibacillus sp. D1 was purified to 52.3-fold by ion exchange chromatography using SP Sepharose. Maximum enzyme activity was recorded at pH 5.0 and 50 °C. MALDI-LC-MS/MS analysis identified the purified enzyme as chitinase with 60% similarity to chitinase Chi55 of Paenibacillus ehimensis. The activation energy (E _a) for chitin hydrolysis and temperature quotient (Q ₁₀) at optimum temperature was found to be 19.14 kJ/mol and 1.25, respectively. Determination of kinetic constants k _m, V _max, k _cat, and k _cat/k _m and thermodynamic parameters ΔH*, ΔS*, ΔG*, ΔG*_E–S, and ΔG*_E–T revealed high affinity of the enzyme for chitin. The enzyme exhibited higher stability in presence of commonly used protectant fungicides Captan, Carbendazim, and Mancozeb compared to control as reflected from the t _1/2 values suggesting its applicability in integrated pest management for control of soil-borne fungal phytopathogens. The order of stability of chitinase in presence of fungicides at 80 °C as revealed from t _1/2 values and thermodynamic parameters E _a(d) (activation energy for irreversible deactivation), ΔH*, ΔG*, and ΔS* was: Captan > Carbendazim > Mancozeb > control. The present study is the first report on thermodynamic and kinetic characterization of chitinase from Paenibacillus sp. D1.     

Quantification of chitinase and thaumatin-like proteins in grape juices and wines

Chitinases and thaumatin-like proteins are important grape proteins as they have a great influence on wine quality. The quantification of these proteins in grape juices and wines, along with their purification, is therefore crucial to study their intrinsic characteristics and the exact role they play in wines. The main isoforms of these two proteins from Chardonnay grape juice were thus purified by liquid chromatography. Two fast protein liquid chromatography (FLPC) steps allowed the fractionation and purification of the juice proteins, using cation exchange and hydrophobic interaction media. A further high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) step was used to achieve higher purity levels. Fraction assessment was achieved by mass spectrometry. Fraction purity was determined by HPLC to detect the presence of protein contaminants, and by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to detect the presence of organic contaminants. Once pure fractions of lyophilized chitinase and thaumatin-like protein were obtained, ultra-HPLC (UHPLC) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) calibration curves were constructed. The quantification of these proteins in different grape juice and wine samples was thus achieved for the first time with both techniques through comparison with the purified protein calibration curve. UHPLC and ELISA showed very consistent results (less than 16% deviation for both proteins) and either could be considered to provide an accurate and reliable quantification of proteins in the oenology field.     

A Large Scale Separation of Taxanes from the Bark Extract of Taxus yunnanesis and 1H‐ and 13C‐NMR Assignments for 7‐epi‐10‐Deacetyltaxol

A large‐scale separation of paclitaxel from semi‐purified bark extract of Taxus yunnanesis was investigated. The chromatographic behavior of paclitaxel and two dose editing analogues, cephalomannine and 7‐epi‐10‐deacetyltaxol were systematically studied on a C₁₈ bonded phase column with different mobile phase in reverse phase mode. According to the notably different selectivity of the methanol and acetonitrile with water in the mobile phase and the most important requirement of capacity in preparative chromatography, the optimum suitably mobile phase used in a large‐scale isolation of paclitaxel and 7‐epi‐10‐deacetyltaxol on a preparative C₁₈ column was given. Cephalomannine was eliminated by ozonolysis and after then separated throughout a normal phase silica column. The whole large‐scale process for high purity paclitaxel from the bark extract of Taxus yunnanesis consisted of a preliminary purification with Biotage FLASH 150i system based on a prepacked normal phase silica cartridge followed by using a C₁₈ Nova‐pak? column in Waters PrepLC? 4000 preparative HPLC system. The structure of 7‐epi‐10‐deacetyltaxol was elucidated by 2D NMR technologies of TOCSY, DQF‐COSY, HMQC and HMBC, etc.     

Strong aphicidal activity of GlcNAc(β1→4)Glc disaccharides: synthesis, physiological effects, and chitinase inhibition

The synthesis of four GlcNAc(β1→4)Glc disaccharides containing 2-O-acetyl and/or 6-sulfate groups was performed in high yields with total 1,2-trans stereoselectivity. These disaccharides were evaluated as candidates for insect chitinase inhibition and aphicidal activity. All the compounds prepared displayed physiological effects on M. persicae aphids; however, the inhibition of chitinases of different sources (bacteria, fungus, and aphid) followed different patterns according to subtle structural characteristics.     

Efficient Method for the Elongation of the N‐Acetylglucosamine Unit by Combined Use of Chitinase and β‐Galactosidase

A novel strategy for the regio‐ and stereoselective synthesis by two enzymatic steps of oligosaccharides having an N‐acetylglucosamine unit at the nonreducing end was developed. The first step involves a chitinase‐catalyzed highly selective β‐N‐acetyllactosamination of an oligosaccharide acceptor with a 4,5‐dihydrooxazole derivative of N‐acetyllactosamine as the glycosyl donor. The usage of a transition‐state‐analogue substrate for the chitinase under basic conditions allows the reaction to proceed only in the synthetic direction while suppressing hydrolysis of the product in aqueous media. Several chitinase mutants also catalyzed the glycosylation efficiently under neutral conditions. The second step is a regioselective cleavage of the glycosidic bond between the terminal galactose unit and the adjacent N‐acetylglucosamine unit by the action of a β‐galactosidase. This constitutes a very useful method to add an N‐acetylglucosamine unit to the nonreducing end of chito‐ and cello‐oligosaccharide derivatives in a regio‐ and stereoselective manner.     

Antifeedant activity of long-chain alcohols,and fungal and plant metabolites against pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum) as potential biocontrol strategy

Aphids are noxious insect pests of major crops including cereals and legumes. Particularly, pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum) causes significant yield and quality loses in pea. Crop protection is largely based on noxious chemical pesticides which have prompted a renewed interest in the discovery of natural products as alternatives to synthetic insecticides. In this study different classes of natural compounds were tested in dual choice bioassays to evaluate their feeding deterrence and mortality effect on pea aphid. High feeding deterrence was produced by some of the compounds, particularly1-hexadecanol, gliotoxin, cyclopaldic acid and seiridin. On the contrary, aphid mortality was low although significant for 1-heptadecanol, cytochalasin A, 1-nonadecanol and gliotoxin. Phytotoxicity assessment showed low or imperceptible plant damaged for cytochalasin A, seiridin and 1-nonadecanol. The results obtained showed the potential of seiridin to be used as an alternative to synthetic insecticides.     

Preparative separation of anti‐oxidative constituents from Rubia cordifolia by column‐switching counter‐current chromatography

An effective column‐switching counter‐current chromatography (CCC) protocol combining stepwise elution mode was successfully developed for simultaneous and preparative separation of anti‐oxidative components from ethyl acetate extract of traditional Chinese herbal medicine Rubia cordifolia. The column‐switching CCC system was interfaced by a commercial low‐pressure six‐port switching valve equipped with a sample loop, allowing large volume introduction from the first dimension (1^st‐D) to the second dimension (2^nd‐D). Moreover, to extend the polarity window, three biphasic liquid systems composed of n‐hexane/ethyl acetate/methanol/water (1:2:1:2, 2:3:2:3, 5:6:5:6 v/v) were employed using stepwise elution mode in the 1^st‐D. By valve switching technique the whole interested region of 1^st‐D could be introduced to second dimension for further separation with the solvent system 5:5:4:6 v/v. Using the present column‐switching CCC protocol, 500 mg of crude R. cordifolia extract were separated, producing milligram‐amounts of four anti‐oxidative components over 90% pure. Structures of purified compounds were identified by ¹H and ¹³C NMR.     

Cloning and Expression of Chitinase A from Serratia Marcescens for Large‐Scale Preparation of N,N‐Diacetyl Chitobiose

The gene of Serratia marcescens chitinase A (chiA) was cloned by PCR. The complete gene was constructed into a pRSET vector and expressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant enzyme was purified to > 90% homogeneity by hydrophobic interaction chromatography followed by ion‐exchange separation. Measured with an electrospray‐ionization mass spectrometer, the molecular mass of the protein was 58,607 Da, consistent with a theoretical calculation of the deduced protein without the signal peptide. The recombinant enzyme was characterized and tested for the preparation of chitobiose. In general, the recombinant Chtinase A exhibited an exo‐type catalytic activity toward colloidal chitin and released both N‐acetylglucosamine and N,N‐diacetyl chitobiose as products. After extensive testing, we produced N,N‐diacetyl chitobiose as the predominant product when the enzymatic reaction was performed in sodium acetate buffer at pH 5.5; under such conditions, an enzymatic process is established for the production of the disaccharide on a 100‐g scale.     

Chitinase‐Catalyzed Synthesis of a Chitin‐Xylan Hybrid Polymer: A Novel Water‐Soluble β(1 → 4) Polysaccharide Having an N‐Acetylglucosamine‐Xylose Repeating Unit

Summary: A chitin‐xylan hybrid polysaccharide having β(1 → 4)‐linked alternating structure of N‐acetyl‐D ‐glucosamine and D ‐xylose was synthesized via chitinase‐catalyzed polymerization. An oxazoline derivative of D ‐xylosyl‐β(1 → 4)‐N‐acetyl‐D ‐glucosamine ( 1 ) was effectively polymerized by the catalysis of chitinase from Bacillus sp., giving rise to a water‐soluble chitin‐xylan hybrid polysaccharide ( 2 ) in good yields. Molecular weights ( ) of 2 reached 1 500, which corresponds to 8–10 saccharide units.

A chitin‐xylan hybrid polysaccharide ( 2 ) synthesized via chitinase‐catalyzed polymerization.     

Chitinase inhibits growth of human breast and colorectal cancer cells in vitro and Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells in vivo

Trichosanthes dioica seed extract was loaded on a QA-cellulose column and the unbound fraction with the chitinase activity was run on SDS-PAGE. Multiple bands were observed and were separated by a Sephadex G-50 column. The combination of the 6 and 33 kDa masses supported the degradation of chitinase as purified earlier. Only the 33 kDa fraction contained sugar and showed chitinase activity. The chitinase was also isolated by using a chitin column. At 200 µg/ml protein concentration, the chitinase inhibited 49.1 %, 48.8 % and 38.12 % of Ehrlich ascites carcinoma, HCT-116 and MCF-7 cells growth, respectively, in a dose-dependent manner. Exactly, 46 % and 82 % EAC cell growth inhibition were observed after treating the EAC cells bearing Swiss albino mice with the chitinase at the doses of 1.0 and 2.0 mg/Kg/day respectively. EAC, HCT-116 and MCF-7 cells growth inhibitions were due to the induction of apoptosis. ROS was accumulated in HCT-116 and MCF-7 cells. After treatment of HCT-116 cells, the expression level of p53 and TNFα genes increased and PARP gene decreased. On the other hand, elevated expression was observed for PARP, MAPK, NFκB, FAS, FADD, and Caspase-8 genes in MCF-7 cells. The induction of apoptosis in HCT-116 was further confirmed by caspase protein expression. The chitinase causes ‘S’ cell cycle arrest in MCF-7 and HCT-116 cells. T. dioica seed chitinase inhibited EAC, HCT-116 and MCF-7 cells by inducing apoptosis in vitro and EAC in vivo in mice. These promising results indicated that T. dioica seed chitinase can be an anticancer agent.     

Rapid quantification of juvenile hormones and their metabolites in insect haemolymph by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS)

A simple, fast and sensitive method was developed for routine determination of juvenile hormone (JH), JH diols and JH acids in insect haemolymph, by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Sample clean-up involves the precipitation of proteins by methanol/isooctane (1:1, v/v), centrifugation and partial evaporation of the organic solvents. Since JH is bound to a carrier protein in the haemolymph, a binding protein (BP) assay was performed to ensure JH is removed during precipitation. The JH compounds were separated on a C₁₈ column (ReproSil-Pur ODS-3) by gradient elution with water and methanol in less than 22 min and analysed by electrospray mass spectrometry. Due to the high abundance of Na⁺ in insect haemolymph, [M+Na]⁺ is primarily formed. The limit of detection and quantification was 6 and 20 pg for JHs, and 8 and 25 pg for JH diols, respectively. To demonstrate the applicability of the method to different insect orders, haemolymph samples from the Mediterranean field cricket (Gryllus bimaculatus), the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), the pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum) and an ant species (Myrmicaria eumenoides) were analysed.Funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) Graduate College 678: Ecological Significance of Natural Compounds and other Signals in Insects—from Structure to Function.Parts of this paper were presented at the 21st Conference of European Comparative Endocrinologists, 26–30 August 2002, Bonn, Germany     

Expression of a Chitinase Gene from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Metarhizium anisopliae</Emphasis> in Tobacco Plants Confers Resistance against <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhizoctonia solani</Emphasis>

The chit1 gene from the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae, encoding the endochitinase CHIT42, was placed under the control of the CaMV 35S promoter, and the resulting construct was transferred to tobacco. Seventeen kanamycin-resistant transgenic lines were recovered, and the presence of the transgene was confirmed by polymerase chain reactions and Southern blot hybridization. The number of chit1 copies was determined to be varying from one to four. Copy number had observable effects neither on plant growth nor development. Substantial heterogeneity concerning production of the recombinant chitinase, and both general and specific chitinolytic activities were detected in leaf extracts from primary transformants. The highest chitinase activities were found in plants harboring two copies of chit1 inserts at different loci. Progeny derived from self-pollination of the primary transgenics revealed a stable inheritance pattern, with transgene segregation following a mendelian dihybrid ratio. Two selected plants expressing high levels of CHIT42 were consistently resistant to the soilborne pathogen Rhizoctonia solani, suggesting a direct relationship between enzyme activity and reduction of foliar area affected by fungal lesions. To date, this is the first report of resistance to fungal attack in plants mediated by a recombinant chitinase from an entomopathogenic and acaricide fungus.     

Structure of Saccharomyces cerevisiae chitinase 1 and screening-based discovery of potent inhibitors

Chitinases hydrolyse the beta(1,4)-glycosidic bonds of chitin, an essential fungal cell wall component. Genetic data on a subclass of fungal family 18 chitinases have suggested a role in cell wall morphology. Specific inhibitors of these enzymes would be useful as tools to study their role in cell wall morphogenesis and could possess antifungal properties. Here, we describe the crystallographic structure of a fungal "plant-type" family 18 chitinase, that of Saccharomyces cerevisiae CTS1. The enzyme is active against 4-methylumbelliferyl chitooligosaccharides and displays an unusually low pH optimum for activity. A library screen against ScCTS1 yielded hits with Ki 's as low as 3.2 microM. Crystal structures of ScCTS1 in complex with inhibitors from three series reveal striking mimicry of carbohydrate substrate by small aromatic moieties and a pocket that could be further exploited in optimization of these inhibitors.     

来源于类芽孢杆菌属碱性甲壳素酶的分离纯化及其性质

甲壳素,又名几丁质(chitin),是自然界中含量仅次于纤维素的第二大天然多糖,有第六生命要素之美称.其主要存在于甲壳类动物的外壳、真菌细胞的细胞壁以及一些昆虫的外壳中,每年自然界中约有100多亿吨甲壳素生成.甲壳素是由2-乙酰氨基-2-脱氧-D-吡喃葡萄糖和2-氨基-2-脱氧-D-吡喃葡萄糖通过β-1,4糖苷键连接而成的二元线性聚合物,分子链中分布许多羟基、氨基及乙酰氨基,形成大量分子间及分子内氢键,致使其结晶度较高,化学性质十分稳定,直接利用较为困难.甲壳素不溶于稀酸、稀碱以及一般有机溶剂,工业上常用强酸强碱法处理甲壳素,以制备壳寡糖类产品,但该方法具有产品结构不单一,环境污染较为严重等缺点.甲壳素酶可特异性水解甲壳素链中β-1,4糖苷键,得到甲壳寡糖和N-乙酰氨基葡萄糖.酶解法降解甲壳素工艺简单、反应条件温和、环境友好,有很好的应用前景.我们以Paenibacillus pasadenensis CS0611为出发菌株,以蟹壳粉末为培养基唯一碳源及氮源,在适宜条件下培养48 h.发酵液经离心、硫酸铵(80％饱和度)盐析、透析除盐后得到粗酶液.再利用HiTrap DEAE FF离子交换层析和HiLoad 26/600Superdex 200 pg凝胶过滤层析对该粗酶液进行分离纯化,以得到电泳纯甲壳素酶.所制备甲壳素酶比活力为10.28 U/mg,最终纯化倍数为5.3,酶活得率为15.7％.SDS-PAGE结果表明,该甲壳素酶相对分子质量约为69 kDa.后经MALDI-TOF-MS鉴定,该酶部分肽段和来源于另一株Paenibacillus pasadenenss的甲壳素酶(accession No:gi655151624)具有较高的同源性,进一步证实所纯化蛋白为甲壳素酶.对上述纯化的甲壳素酶的酶学性质进行研究,结果发现:其最适反应温度为50℃,在20-35℃内有较好的稳定性,50℃及以上热稳定性较差;最适pH为5.0,在pH4.0-11.0间具有较高稳定性,表明该酶具有很好的耐碱性;金属离子对该酶催化活性没有明显的激活作用,表明该甲壳素酶是非金属酶.同时,对该酶的底物特异性进行研究,发现该酶对胶体甲壳素和甲壳素水解能力较强,对淀粉和纤维素无水解能力,对不同脱乙酰度的壳聚糖的水解程度随脱乙酰度不同而变化,表明该酶只能特异性识别并降解GlcNAc-GlcNAc之间的糖苷键;以胶体甲壳素为底物时,米氏常数Km为4.41 mg/mL,最大反应初速度为1.08 mg/min.利用薄板层析和高效液相色谱对酶解产物进行分析,结果表明该甲壳素酶对胶体甲壳素的降解产物主要是(GlcNAc)2.综上所述,本研究所涉甲壳素酶在甲壳二糖的酶法制备方面具有较好的应用前景.     

Silver ion coordination countercurrent chromatography: Separation of β‐elemene from the volatile oil of Curcumae Rhizoma

In this work, the antitumor constituent β‐elemene was selectively separated from the volatile oil of the Curcumae Rhizoma by countercurrent chromatography with silver nitrate as selective reagent based on the formation of coordination complexes. A biphasic solvent system composed of n‐hexane/methanol/water (2:1.5:0.5, v/v/v) was selected, in which 0.15 mol/L of silver nitrate was added to the aqueous phase. The aqueous phase was used as the stationary phase for separation of β‐elemene by countercurrent chromatography after it was partially purified from the volatile oil by silica gel column chromatography. An enriched β‐elemene fraction was obtained by silica gel column chromatography to improve the percentage of β‐elemene from 16.5 to 46.1%. Subsequently, β‐elemene was further purified from 445 mg of the partially purified sample of volatile oil by countercurrent chromatography with silver nitrate as a selective reagent, yielding 145 mg of β‐elemene with greater than 99% purity, as determined by gas chromatography mass spectrometry. The recovery of β‐elemene from the crude volatile oil through two steps was around 63.6%.     

Simultaneous determination of the content of isoquinoline alkaloids in Dicranostigma leptopodum (Maxim) Fedde and the effective fractionation of the alkaloids by high‐performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection

A simple and efficient method was developed for the simultaneous determination of eight isoquinoline alkaloids in methanol extracts of Dicranostigma leptopodum (Maxim) Fedde and the effective fractionation of the alkaloids of D. leptopodum by high‐performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection. The chromatographic conditions were optimized on a SinoChrom ODS‐BP column to obtain a good separation of the four types of alkaloid analytes, including two aporphines (isocorydine, corydine), two protopines (protopine and allocryptopine), a morphine (sinoacutine), and three quaternary protoberberine alkaloids (berberrubine, 5‐hydroxycoptisine, and berberine). The separation of these alkaloids was significantly affected by the composition of the mobile phase, and particularly by its pH value. Acetonitrile (A) and 0.2% phosphoric acid solution adjusted to pH 6.32 with triethylamine (B) were selected as the mobile phase with a gradient elution. With this method, a new quaternary protoberberine alkaloid was isolated and the two structural isomers (isocorydine and corydine) were baseline separated. The appropriate harvest period for D. leptopodum was also recommended based on our analysis. The method for the effective fraction of the alkaloids of D. leptopodum was optimized under this method with regard to the varying significant pharmacological activities of the alkaloids.