Optimization of chromatographic systems for the high-performance thin-layer chromatography of flavonoids

Summary To characterize the retention and selectivity of separations of 23 flavonoids (aglycones and glycosides) relationships betweenR _F and modifier concentration were determined for silica and diol adsorbents (with mixtures of ethyl acetate and methanol as mobile phases), for cyanopropyl silica (with mixtures of ethyl acetate and dichloromethane as mobile phases), for aminopropyl silica (with mixtures of ethyl acetate, methanol and water as mobile phases) and for octadecyl silica (with mixtures of methanol and water as mobile phases). Owing to large polarity differences between aglycones and glycosides, these groups of compounds cannot be separated other than by use of reversed-phase systems, for which the selectivity is lower. It follows from correlation plots ofR _F1 againstR _F2 that for some pairs of adsorbents (e. g. silica and diol) selectivity differences are small; for others the points in the plot are widely dispersed, indicating selectivity differences. The chemometric database obtained can be used to choose optimum chromatographic systems for the separation of given sets of flavonoids and for planning gradient elution programs for separation of flavonoid aglycones and glycosides in a single TLC experiment.