Preparative separation of lappaconitine, ranaconitine, N-deacetyllappaconitine and N-deacetylranaconitine from crude alkaloids of sample Aconitum sinomontanum Nakai by high-speed counter-current chromatography.

Analytical high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) was used for the systematic selection and optimization of the two-phase solvent system to separate alkaloids from Aconitum sinomontanum Nakai. The optimum solvent systems CHCl3-MeOH-0.3 M/0.2 M HCl (4:1.5:2, v/v) thus obtained led to the successful separation of lappaconitine, ranaconitine, N-deacetyllappaconitine and N-deacetylranaconitine from 60 to 500 mg of crude alkaloid sample by preparative HSCCC separation.