Swedish bitter – Total polyphenols and HPLC-MS analysis

Bitter is a natural traditional tonic initially prepared by Paracelsus and then re-discovered by Swedish doctors in the XVIIIth century [1,2]. Bitter contains volatile oils and bitter principles of carminative, antispastic, cholagogue-choleretic or aperitif action [3]. The present study aims to clarify the types of vegetal products used for the preparation of two Bitter formulas: I and II and also the analysis of polyphenols and flavonoids. The vegetal mixture was purchased from Galke (Germany). An alcoholic extract was prepared by cold maceration, during 10 days and daily stirring, using a vegetal product-alcohol 70% ratio of 1:10. Total polyphenols were determined using the Folin Ciocalteu method [4] and a series of 19 standards was used for the HPLC-MS analysis. Non-hydrolyzed and hydrolyzed extracts were analyzed. The first bitter formula (I) contains a mixture of 11 vegetal products and 0.62mg/100ml total polyphenols and the second formula (II) a mixture of 17 vegetal products and 0.82mg/100ml total polyphenols. The HPLC-MS method emphasized 3 types of ployphenols in the nonhydrolized sample and 4 types in the hydrolyzed one for Bitter I. For the Bitter II formula 2 polyphenols were found in the nonhydrolized sample and 3 in the hydrolyzed one.

References: [1] Weiss, R. and Fintelmann, V. (2000) Herbal Medicine Thieme, Stuttgart, New York.

[2] Wagner, H. (1999) Arzneidrogen und ihre Inhaltsstoffe, Stuttgart.

[3] Istudor, V. (2001) Farmacognozie, fitochimie, fitoterapie, Editura Medicala.

[4] Peev C. (2006) Analiza în laborator a produselor naturale medicinale, Ed. Mirton, Timişoara.