Assay of caffeoylquinic acids in Baccharis trimera by reversed-phase liquid chromatography

Baccharis trimera commonly named ‘carqueja’, is wide-spread in South America and are used as raw material for herbal medicines. A reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RP-LC) method coupled to diode array detector was developed for the analysis of caffeoylquinic acids (CQAs), the main compounds responsible for its digestive activity. The identity of the quinic acids was established by mass spectrometry and were them: 5-O-[E]-caffeoylquinic acid, 3,4-O-[E]-dicaffeoylquinic acid, 3,5-O-[E]-dicaffeoylquinic acid, 4,5-O-[E]-dicaffeoylquinic acid and a tricaffeoylquinic acid. The RP-LC method for the quantitation of the caffeoylquinic acids was validated according to ICH guidelines, based on the following parameters: linearity, selectivity, robustness, limits of detection and quantification, precision and recovery. Hydroalcoholic extracts were prepared by the maceration of the plant material with ethanol:water 1:1 (v/v) in a 0.1:25 g mL−1 plant:solvent ratio in a water bath at 40 °C. Validation data indicated that the HPLC method proposed is suitable for the analysis of caffeoylquinic acids in B. trimera raw material. The results of the LOD and LOQ analyses for the 5-CQA were 4.1 μg mL−1 and 12.5 μg mL−1, respectively, 1.3 μg mL−1, 3.9 μg mL−1 for 4,5-diCQA and 1.7 μg mL−1, 5.1 μg mL−1 for triCQA. The levels of total CQAs ranged from 2.1 to 4.0 g% (w/w). The influence of season harvest and site collection was also evaluated and variations were observed in the results and can be related to phonologic phase, different locations, seasons and soil. Long term and photostability of plant material were carried out and was observed a stable behavior during the time of the experiments.

► Composition of the caffeoylquinic acids of Baccharis trimera was analyzed by LC–MS.
► A RP-LC method was developed for the analysis of CQAs of the hydroethanolic extract.
► Validation data indicated that the proposed method is suitable for the analysis.
► The influence of season harvest and site collection was observed in the results.
► Long term and photostability of the plant material were also investigated.