Enhanced analysis of triterpenes, flavonoids and phenolic compounds in Prunella vulgaris L. by capillary zone electrophoresis with the addition of running buffer modifiers

A cyclodextrin-modified capillary zone electrophoresis method was developed for the separation and determination of three isomeric compounds (ursolic acid, oleanolic acid and betulinic acid), caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, rosmarinic acid, rutin and quercetin. Without the addition of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) and methanol, the separation of these analytes was poorly resolved. These eight compounds, however, were well separated from each other within 20 min with a borax running buffer (40 mM of borax, pH 9.4) containing 2 mM β-CD and 4% (v/v) methanol at the voltage of 25 kV, temperature of 25 °C and detection wavelength of 210 nm. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) of migration time ranged from 0.16 to 0.74% while those of the peak area ratios ranged from 2.17 to 4.61% for six determinations of the analytes at concentration of 10 and 25 μg mL−1. The correlation coefficients of the calibration curves of the analytes were all >0.998, and the recoveries were from 96.8 to 103.6%. The method was successfully applied to determine these bioactive components in the samples of Prunella vulgaris L. and its beverage drink products. Our results reveal that only the isomeric compounds and rosmarinic acid could be detected in the spikes of P. vulgaris L.; other components were either too low to be detected or not present while only rosmarinic acid was detected in the beverage products.