Preparative separation and enrichment of four taxoids from Taxus chinensis needles extracts by macroporous resin column chromatography.

An environment-friendly method was established for the preparative separation and enrichment of four taxoids, namely 10-deacetylbaccatin III (10-DAB III), 7-xylosyl-10-deacetyltaxol (7-xyl-10-DAT), cephalomannine and paclitaxel from Taxus chinensis needles extracts. Characteristics of seven widely used macroporous resins for four taxoids were compared, AB-8 resin offered better adsorption and desorption capacities than others. AB-8 resin column chromatography was used to study the desorption process for four taxoids. The optimum parameters for desorption were 30% ethanol 5 RV for removing impurities, following 15 RV for 10-DAB III, after the desorption of impurities with 35% ethanol 10 RV, 45% ethanol 30 RV for 7-xyl-10-DAT, then 65% ethanol 10 RV for cephalomannine and paclitaxel, the flow rate was 6 RV/h. After separation on AB-8 resin column chromatography, the contents of 10-DAB III, 7-xyl-10-DAT, cephalomannine and paclitaxel in the product reached 4.58, 13.17, 1.36 and 3.08%, respectively, which were 7.63-, 3.68-, 6.18- and 6.55-fold to those in T. chinensis needles extracts. The recovery yields were 94.96, 77.32, 88.09 and 95.25%. In general, the AB-8 resin column chromatography has the advantages of lower cost, high efficiency and simple procedure. Therefore, it may provide scientific references for the preparative separation and enrichment of taxoids from other T. species.