ARS | Publication request: STEAM DISTILLATION-SOLID PHASE MICRO EXTRACTION (SD-SPME) FOR THE DETECTION OF EPHEDRA SINICA IN HERBAL PREPARATIONS

Submitted to: Journal of Chromatography
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: July 12, 2003
Publication Date: January 19, 2004
Citation: TELLEZ, M.R., KHAN, I.A., SCHANEBERG, B.T., CROCKETT, S.L., RIMANDO, A.M., KOBAISY, M.M. STEAM DISTILLATION-SOLID PHASE MICRO EXTRACTION (SD-SPME) FOR THE DETECTION OF EPHEDRA SINICA IN HERBAL PREPARATIONS. JOURNAL OF CHROMATOGRAPHY. 2004. V. 1025. P. 51-56.

Interpretive Summary: A new method was developed to investigate volatile components from plants. This new methodology allows for the detection of trace amounts of compounds present in very small sample sizes. The process involves steam distillation of plant material combined with trapping of the volatile components on commercially available fibers. This new technique was successfully used to develop a novel method for the authentication of Ephedra sinica, a component of commercially available herbal preparation.

Technical Abstract: A new method involving solid phase continuous microextraction technique combined with continuous hydrodistillation of essential oil was developed. This new methodology allows for the detection by GC/MS of very small amounts of a diagnostic peak for the authentication of Ephedra sinica, in a short period of time and using only small sample sizes. This diagnostic peak was identified as 4-vinylanisole, and elucidated from the chromatographic profile allowed for the identification of a sample as E. sinica among other species investigated in this study. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report on using solid phase continuous microextraction coupled to hydrodistillation for the investigation of essential oil components, and the first report of 4-vinylanisole as a marker compound for E. sinica. A total of 46 collections representing 21 species of Ephedra were studied.