Secondary metabolites isolation in natural products chemistry: Comparison of two semipreparative chromatographic techniques (high pressure liquid chromatography and high performance thin-layer chromatography)

• Isolation of secondary metabolites in natural products chemistry.
• Comparison of the performance of semipreparative HPLC and HPTLC.
• Semipreparative HPTLC offers some advantages over conventional semipreparative HPLC.
• HPLC remains the most efficient, but for a higher yield, HPTLC should be preferred.

Chemical investigations on secondary metabolites in natural products chemistry require efficient isolation techniques for characterization purpose as well as for the evaluation of their biological properties. In the case of phytochemical studies, the performance of the techniques is critical (resolution and yield) since the products generally present a narrow range of polarity and physicochemical properties. Several techniques are currently available, but HPLC (preparative and semipreparative) is the most widely used. To compare the performance of semipreparative HPLC and HPTLC for the isolation of secondary metabolites in different types of extracts, we have chosen carvone from spearmint essential oil (Mentha spicata L.), resveratrol from Fallopia multiflora (Thunb.) Haraldson, and rosmarinic acid from rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) extracts. The comparison was based on the chromatographic separation, the purity and quantity of isolated compounds, the solvent consumption, the duration and the cost of the isolation operations. The results showed that semipreparative HPTLC can in some case offer some advantages over conventional semipreparative HPLC.