Planta Med 2016; 82(S 01): S1-S381
DOI: 10.1055/s-0036-1596253
Abstracts
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Degradation study of carnosic acid

B Mutschlechner
1   Institute of Pharmacy/Department of Pharmacognosy, University of Innsbruck, Center for Chemistry and Biomedicine Innrain 80 – 82, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
,
S Schwaiger
1   Institute of Pharmacy/Department of Pharmacognosy, University of Innsbruck, Center for Chemistry and Biomedicine Innrain 80 – 82, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
,
P Schneider
1   Institute of Pharmacy/Department of Pharmacognosy, University of Innsbruck, Center for Chemistry and Biomedicine Innrain 80 – 82, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
,
H Stuppner
1   Institute of Pharmacy/Department of Pharmacognosy, University of Innsbruck, Center for Chemistry and Biomedicine Innrain 80 – 82, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
14 December 2016 (online)

 
 

    Carnosic acid, a strong antioxidative natural agent has been associated with anti-tumorogenic, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective and anti-proliferative effects [1]. These promising pharmacological data appear questionable due to the stability of carnosic acid in solutions. To investigate the stability in detail, a novel isolation protocol to obtain highly purified carnosic acid (96%) from Salvia officinalis L. has been established. The degradation process was monitored by means of a novel fast HPLC-DAD/MS method, using an YMC-Pack Pro C18 RS column. The stability was assessed, time-dependently in 18 different solvents; including solvents used for cellular assays, like water + 1% DMSO and Ham's F-12 growth medium. Moreover, its stability was evaluated under different light and storage conditions; in particular, the effect of amber glass and clear glass was analyzed. Since different glass materials showed significant influence on the degradation process the glass compositions were analyzed by means of EDX/RFA spectroscopy. In the course of these studies thirteen different degradation products of carnosic acid were isolated and identified by means of LC-MSn, LC-HRMS and 1D and 2D NMR. The investigated solvents showed variable influence on the degradation. In apolar solvents, like n-hexane the concentration of carnosic acid, after seven days, decreased by 14% only, if stored in DMSO it is halved, in water it is reduced by 93% and Ham's F-12 growth medium enhances the degradation process so massively that after 72 hours carnosic acid is not detectable anymore. In addition we were able to show that amber glass accelerates the degradation of carnosic acid tremendously, which is in agreement to previous observations [2]. Those findings suggest that a profound pharmacological investigation of carnosic acid is only possible and meaningful, if experiments utilize water and/or medium free stock solutions and the incubation times is kept as short as possible.

    Acknowledgements: We are grateful to Bionorica Research GmbH for financial support.

    References:

    [1] Birtić S, Dussort P, Pierre FX, Bily AC, Roller M.. Molecules of interest: Carnosic acid. Phytochemistry 2015; 115: 9 – 19

    [2] Thorsen MA, Hildebrandt KS. Quantitative determination of phenolic diterpenes in rosemary extracts. Aspects of accurate quantification. J Chromatogr A 2003; 995: 1 – 2: 119 – 125


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    No conflict of interest has been declared by the author(s).