Simultaneous extraction of epimedin A, B, C and icariin from Herba Epimedii by ultrasonic technique

Abstract

An ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) procedure of epimedin A, epimedin B, epimedin C and icariin from Herba Epimedii was developed. The effects of ethanol concentration, ratio of liquid to solid, UAE time, extraction temperature and number of extraction cycles on the extraction yields of the four flavonoids from Herba Epimedii were investigated. The optimal UAE condition was found using orthogonal test: 50% (v/v) ethanol solution, liquid:solid ratio of 30 ml/g, ultrasonication duration 30 min, extraction temperature 50 degrees C and three extraction cycles. The UAE method showed a high reproducibility. Epimedin A, B, C and icariin in the crude extract exhibited photodegradation under ultraviolet irradiation. This UAE method was shown to be highly efficient compared with the conventional Soxhlet extraction and boiling extraction. The effect of ultrasound on cell destruction was examined by scanning electron microscopy. The contents of epimedin A, B, C and icariin in the leaves of 20 Epimedium species were determined using high-performance liquid chromatographic method following UAE method.

Analysis of Flavonoids from Leaves of Cultivated Lycium barbarum L.

“…The standard rutin treated with the same irradiation also showed the same strong capacity of absorbing ultraviolet and unchanged UV spectra (data not shown). Some flavonoids (epimedin A, B, C and icariin) were degraded (concentrations decreased) under the UV irradiation according to the decreasing absorbance [15], while the absorbance of rutin increased under the same treatment in this study. So it may be deduced that not all the flavonoids showed the abilities of anti-UV, and that whether the UV absorbance of flavonoids under long-time UV irradiation could be used for concentration determination needed further validation.…”

“…The variation in the abilities of UV absorption of different flavonoids (the purified rutin from the cultivated L. barbarum leaves and the epimedin A, B, C and icariin from Herba epidemii leaves [15]) indicated that not all the flavonoids showed the capacity of anti-UV, and that whether the UV absorbance of flavonoids under long-time UV irradiation could be used for concentration determination needed further validation. The mechanism for the UV absorption capacity of rutin and UV induced degradation of flavonoids as epimedin A, B, C and icariin needs further research.…”

“…The extraction method was modified based on the UAE method of Zhang et al [15]. Specifically, 70% methanol (v/v), liquid to solid ratio, 0.5 ml/mg, 50°C water bath, 30 min ultrasonic duration and three extraction cycles.…”

Subcritical ethanol extraction of flavonoids from Moringa oleifera leaf and evaluation of antioxidant activity

“…Many new extraction technologies have been developed to separate flavonoids from plants (Dai & Mumper, 2010), such as ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) (Albu, Joyce, Paniwnyk, Lorimer, & Mason, 2004;Zhang, Yang, Li, & Wang, 2008), subcritical water extraction (SWE) (Jo et al, 2013;Matshediso, Cukrowska, & Chimuka, 2015), supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) (Maran, Manikandan, Priya, & Gurumoorthi, 2015), microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) (Rostagno, Palma, & Barroso, 2007). Subcritical extraction does not require an alternative energy source such as microwave and ultrasound.…”

Anti-fatigue Properties of Icariin Isolated from Epimedium Brevicornum Maxim in Mice

“…The main bioactive components in E. brevicornum are epimedin epimedin A, epimedin B, epimedin C and icariin [7]. Recently, icariin (C 33 H 40 O 15 : molecular weight: 676.67) has been reported to have a variety of pharmacological actions, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-depressant, anti-obesity, estrogen-like and immunoregulatory activities [8]. However, the effects of icariin on physical fatigue have not been investigated thus far.…”