Separation and purification of antioxidants from Ampelopsis heterophylla by counter-current chromatography.

In this study, bioactive components from Ampelopsis heterophylla were separated by counter-current chromatography (CCC). The antioxidant activity of the crude extract was initially evaluated by an online HPLC method. Five compounds in the crude extract exhibited good antioxidant activities, namely, hyperoside (1), isoquercitrin (2), rutin (3), kaempferol-3-rutinoside (4), and quercetin (5). These compounds were further separated by CCC with biphasic solvent systems and their structures were identified by MS and NMR spectroscopy. All the compounds exhibited significant 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl radical scavenging activities with IC50 values at 18.2 ± 1.3, 17.0 ± 1.4, 24.2 ± 1.2, 38.1 ± 1.7, and 9.0 ± 1.2 μM, respectively. The scavenging ratios of the compounds against hydroxyl radicals were 65 ± 5, 68 ± 4, 96 ± 2, 70 ± 4, and 98 ± 2%, respectively.