HPLC-PDA method for quinovic acid glycosides assay in Cat's claw (Uncaria tomentosa) associated with UPLC/Q-TOF–MS analysis

Uncaria tomentosa (Willd.) is a medicinal plant largely used in folk medicine due to its wide range of biological activities, many of which are usually ascribed to the two main classes of secondary metabolites, namely, alkaloids and quinovic acid glycosides. In this work, a reversed phase HPLC-PDA method was developed and validated for the assay of quinovic acid glycosides in crude and dried extracts of Uncaria tomentosa (Cat's claw) bark. The validation comprised tests of specificity, accuracy, linearity, intermediate precision, repeatability and limits of detection and of quantification. Alpha-hederin was used as the external standard. High coefficients of determination with lower R.S.D. were achieved for both external standard and crude extract. The structural characterization of the main quinovic acid glycosides presented in the crude extract was carried out through UPLC/Q-TOF–MS. The identities of the compounds were obtained through the comparison of their fragmentation patterns with those reported in the literature. The analytical method was successfully applied for quantifying quinovic acid glycosides in two different dried extracts from U. tomentosa and in one quinovic acid glycosides purified fraction.

► It is a new HPLC-PDA method for the quantification of the quinovic acid fraction in extracts of Cat's claw bark.
► It is a new UPLC/Q-TOF–MS for the characterization of the main quinovic acid glycosides presented in the crude extract.
► The method was successfully applied in two different dried extracts and in one quinovic acid glycosides purified fraction.