Electrophoretic behaviour and quantitative analysis of active components 6,7-dehydroroyleanone and taxoquinone extracted from Salvia deserta Schang

This communication demonstrates that micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) can be convenient for the determination of minor active components 6,7-dehydroroyleanone and taxoquinone in the extract of the traditional Chi nese medicinal herb. 6,7-Dehydroroyleanone and taxoquinone can be monitored selectively and sensitively at 254 nm within 8 min in the plant extract, u sing beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) as a MEKC modified. The concentration rang e was 5-500 mu g ml(-1) for 6,7-dehydroroyleanone and 2.5-750 mu g ml(-1) f or taxoquinone with good linear correlation coefficients 0.9997 and 0.9989, respectively. It was found that 68.2 mu g of 6,7-dehydroroyieanone and 12. 5 mu g of taxoquinone were contained in 1 g of Salvia deserta Schang roots. The inclusion of 6,7-dehydroroyleanone and taxoquinone with beta-CD in cap illary zone electrophoresis (CZE) was studied, and the inclusion constant l ogK(CD) were 4.1 and 3.2 for 6,7-dehydroroyleanone and taxoquinone, respect ively.