Purification of phenolic flavanoids with flash chromatography

Phenolic flavonoids are common plant secondary metabolites. They occur as flavonoids, anthocyanidins, and anthocyanins. The interest in flavanoids is due to investigations into their anti-oxidant activity; they are also interesting as natural food colorants that may also possess nutraceutical benefits. As the compounds are chemically similar to each other, obtaining pure compounds is problematic. Advances in flash chromatography columns, systems, and detection techniques allow easier purification of phenolic flavonoids. Methanolic extract from Camellia sinensis, a rich source of phenolic flavonoids, is used as a model system for purification of these compounds.