Studies on Separation and Purification of Total Flavones from Licorice by Macroreticular Adsorptive Resin

OBJECTIVE: To establish a technical process for the separation and purification of total flavones from Licorice. METHODS: The static absorption capacity of macroreticular adsorptive resins D101、Hz-806、AB-83 for total flavones from licorice were compared. The macroreticular adsorptive resin columns on the Licorice extractives were eluted respectively with different concentrations of ethanol, then the content, the weight of residue and purity coefficient of flavones from Licorice in the eluant were detected. RESULTS: The optimal technological conditions were found in AB-8 as follows: flow rate=3ml/min, sample concentration=1.5 mg/ml, pH=5 and 80% ethanol was used as eluting agent. CONCLUSIONS: AB-8 macroreticular adsorptive resin can effectively separate and purify total flavones from licorice, the purity coefficient thus obtained being over 50%, which meets the requirement of the study of effective components of herbal medicine.