Isolation and quantification of the pungent principles of ginger

A method for the preparative isolation of 6-, 8-, and 10-gingerol as well as 6-shogaol using a combination of high speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) and column chromatography is described. The molar absorption coefficients of the pure compounds were determined and an HPLC method for separation and quantification of these pungent principles in ginger and ginger products with vanillin as an internal standard was developed.