CAPILLARY SUPERCRITICAL-FLUID CHROMATOGRAPHY OF LIMONOIDS

Capillary supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) with carbon dioxide as the mobile phase has been used to separate a mixture of limonoid s tandards. Chromatographic conditions were optimized to enable analysis of plant extracts. The seed of Aphanamixis polystacha (Meliaceae) and the stem bark of Harpephyllum caffrum (Anacardiaceae) were extracted with hexane and the extracts were analyzed by SFC to demonstrate the p otential of the technique as a screening tool. SFC analysis indicated the presence of limonoids in the hexane extract of the bark of Entandr ophragma delevoyii (Meliaceae). One limonoid and two protolimonoids is olated from the extract were separated by SFC.