A novel method to convert triptolide into tripchlorolide in Tripterygium wilfordii.

A new method has been established to convert triptolide (1) into tripchlorolide (2) directly in the Chinese herbal drug Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F. and the influences of reaction times and pH values have been investigated. It was found that 1 could be most efficiently converted into 2 using a hydrochloric acid-acetic acid system. An HPLC method was devised in order to monitor the conversion and ESI-MS was used to identify the synthetic product 2. The sensitivity of the assay was sufficient to monitor the conversion of the main active components in T. wilfordii.