Research project BL/C/44 (Research action BL)
1/12/2007-28/2/2010
Context and objectives
Natural products are widely used in traditional medicine, and are nowadays also gaining interest in Western countries. Medicinal plants have a potential to be developed as high-value healthcare products. However, quality control is an important issue during development of such products to ensure the identity, safety and quality of the natural and synthetized products.
The project will have the following objectives:
- define fingerprint development methodologies in classic High-Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)
- data analysis of fingerprint data and definition of fingerprint analysis protocols
- isolation and characterization of individual herbal compounds
- define fingerprint development methodologies with miniaturized separation techniques
- define fingerprint development methodologies with two-dimensional HPLC
- compare HPLC fingerprints with metabolomic analysis by 1H NMR spectrometry and multivariate analysis techniques.
Methodology
- define fingerprint development methodologies in classic High-Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)
By the Flemish partner (VUB), a methodology to develop HPLC fingerprints for the quality control of herbal medicines was defined.
- data analysis of fingerprint data and definition of fingerprint analysis protocols
By one of the Walloon partners (Prof. Crommen), CE fingerprints were developed for 17 different samples of Fructus Schisandrae chinensis and a statistical comparison of these fingerprints is being performed.
By the Flemish partner (VUB), HPLC-DAD fingerprints were developed for 28 different samples of Citri reticulatae pericarpium. As data analysis, exploratory analysis using Principal Component Analysis is being performed. Secondly, it will be tried to develop a protocol to identify new samples as being Citri reticulatae pericarpium samples or not, based on their HPLC fingerprints.
- define fingerprint development methodologies with miniaturized separation techniques
By one of the Walloon partners (Prof. Crommen), an MEKC method was optimized to develop CE fingerprints of Fructus Schisandrae chinensis.
By the Flemish partner (VUB), it was tried to define a methodology to develop CEC fingerprints in one study, and in another study it is tried to define a methodology to develop p-CEC fingerprints. For the latter, both capillaries packed with silica particles as capillaries packed with monoliths are being tested.
- compare HPLC fingerprints with metabolomic analysis by 1H NMR spectrometry and multivariate analysis techniques
By one of the Walloon partners (Prof. Angenot), the samples of Citri reticulatae pericarpium, Fructus schizandrae chinensis, Polygoni cuspidatae rhizome, Sinomenii acuti caulis, and Polygoni multiflori radix were analyzed according to Pharmacopeial methods. Besides, NMR fingerprints will be developed.
