Comparative methodology for isolation of flavonoid glycosides from Clusia criuva Cambess

The family Guttiferae belongs to the superorder Theiflorae, order Theales a nd according to Dahlgren's system of classification, it iis equivalent to H ypericaceae (=Clusiaceae) [1]. This family consists of 49 genera encompassi ng over 1000 species of wide distribution in the tropics as shrubs and tree s [2], Plants of the genus Clusia have been used in folk medicine for the t reatment of different kind of illness such as: febrifuge, anti rheumatic, p urgative, for stomach problems and, in Brazil, they are very commonly used to heal wounds [3], The key of any study of material from natural sources i s the availability of suitable separation methods for the isolation of pure products [4-6], Tentatives for separations using chomatography on solid su pport phases were not very efficients in the fractionation of Clusia criuva Cambess methanolic/ethyl acetate extracts. However, the use of counter-cur rent chromatography, an all liquid technique, showed advantages in comparis on with the more traditional liquid-solid separation methods and even with HPLC, In this sense it was possible to isolate flavonoid glycosides from et hyl acetate extract of Clusia criuva, in a very short operation time.