Single-Step Preparative Extraction of Artemisinin from Artemisia annua by Charcoal Column Chromatography

Activated charcoal column chromatography was successfully applied for preparative extraction of artemisinin with high-purity from Artemisia annua L. in one single run for the first time in this study. The adsorption kinetics study showed that powdery activated charcoal had high adsorption speed for artemisinin. The experimental adsorption data fitted well using the Langmuir adsorption model. The optimal parameters for the extraction of artemisinin were obtained using a column packed with activated charcoal: the loading amount, 1 g extract/5 g activated charcoal; the elution mode, CH₂Cl₂?CMeOH (2:5, v/v) for 5 BV (bed volume) after the removal of some impurities with CH₂Cl₂?CMeOH (1:10, v/v). With this optimized condition, artemisinin was finally obtained with purity at 95.2% and the recovery at 72.3%. The developed technique would provide a feasible large-scale method for the extraction of artemisinin in pharmaceutical industry.