SFx – How fast and robust can a rose root analysis be?

Supercritical fluid (SFx) techniques have been recently introduced for the extraction and separation of natural compounds of a wide polarity range [1]. The advantages of these methods are unique: they are ecofriendly and allow for a targeted extraction and separation by adaption of the polarity using different co-solvents. Since centuries, extracts of the dried roots and rhizomes of Rhodiola rosea L. (rose root) are used for their adaptogenic and health beneficial properties. For the quality assessment of herbal products, a robust and precise analytical method is a prerequisite. The analysis and quantitation of key secondary metabolites of rose root is particularly crucial due to the heterogeneity of the used plant material.With the aim to establish and validate a fast and robust SFx workflow for rose root samples, seven diverse secondary metabolites have been successfully extracted and quantified within this study. Eight commercial R. rosea preparations and 24 herbal drugs have been extracted using 60% CO₂ and 40% methanol. The SFE extracts were separated on an UPC² instrument in a remarkable short time below 3.5 minutes. The robustness is underlined by good results in terms of linearity, accuracy and precision on a QDa mass detector. The investigated herbal drugs showed a high heterogeneity concerning their quantitative composition. The fact that only one of the commercial products met the declared content of rosavins and salidroside, further highlights the need for a reliable method to assess the quality of R. rosea [2].

Publication History

Article published online:
13 December 2021

• References

• 1 Scheuba et al., 2017. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0043-105499
• 2 Langeder, Grienke, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1002/pca.3040