ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Extraction and analysis of ellagic acid from novel complex sources

Antonio F. Aguilera-Carbo, Christopher Augur, Lilia A. Prado-Barragan, Cristóbal N. Aguilar, and Ernesto Favela-Torres

Department of Biotechnology, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Iztapalapa, 09340, DF, México

E-mail: cag13761@mail.uadec.mx

Received: 6 November 2007  Revised: 4 February 2008  Accepted: 5 February 2008

Abstract: Ellagic acid (EA) was quantified by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RPHPLC) coupled with photodiode array detection (DAD) in five fine-powdered plants collected from the semiarid region of Mexico. Samples analysed included Jatropha dioica branches (Dragon’s blood), Euphorbia antisyphyllitica branches (Candelilla), Turnera diffusa Willd leaves (Damiana), Flourensia cernua leaves (hojasén) and Punica granatum husk (pomegranate) at two maturity stages (“turning” or intermediate and maturated fruit, considered as positive controls). The results demonstrated high EA concentrations in all tested samples which are novel sources of this natural antioxidant. The method developed for the EA analysis is fast and it showed an excellent linearity range, repeatability, intra-and inter-day precision and accuracy with respect to the methods reported for the EA analysis.

Keywords: ellagic acid - semiarid plants - HPLC analysis

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.2478/s11696-008-0042-y

Chemical Papers 62 (4) 440–444 (2008)