Validation of a photostability indicating method for quantification of furanocoumarins from Brosimum gaudichaudii soft extract

Abstract A validation study of a reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic assay for the quantification of two furanocoumarins (psoralen and bergapten) in soft extract obtained from Brosimum gaudichaudii Trecul, Moraceae, roots was conducted. The developed method was sensitive, rapid, reproducible, easy and precise, and showed linearity ( r  > 0.99) in the range of 10–64 μg/ml for psoralen, and 9–56 μg/ml for bergapten. It also showed a good efficiency for the photodegradation analysis of psoralen and bergapten in the soft extract. The photostability results showed that the Higuchi model presented the best fitting to the obtained data. Both chemical markers showed stability over 2.6 days, suggesting potential applications of the extract in obtaining intermediate products from this plant material. Furanocoumarins take around 30 min to be activated by UV light, reaching the maximum biological potential. Thus, the results obtained to the Higuchi model, corresponding to 2.6 days of stability, shows feasibility with future applications of these chemical markers.