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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BHNRC) » Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center » Food Composition and Methods Development Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #193841
Title: Comparison of the Terpene Lactones and Flavonols Contents in Ginkgo Biloba Commercial Samples and the NIST Standard Reference Materials Using LC/UV/MS

Author
item McAuley, Brendan
item Chen, Pei

Submitted to: Phytochemical Analysis
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/20/2006
Publication Date: 1/16/2007
Citation: Ozcan, M., McAuley, B., and Chen, P. 2007. Comparison of the Terpene Lactones and Flavonols Contents in Ginkgo Biloba Commercial Samples and the NIST Standard Reference Materials Using LC/UV/MS. Journal of Food and Drug Analysis. 15(1):55-62

Interpretive Summary: The leaf extract of Ginkgo biloba has purported value for improving mental capacities in Alzheimer’s patients. The flavonoids and the ginkgolides are considered to be the two main active components that influence human health. This paper presents a chromatographic method with UV and mass spectroscopic detection for determining the composition of flavonoids and the ginkgolides in ginkgo products. A gradient reversed-phase HPLC method was developed that was suitable for separation of ginkgolides (Ginkgolide A, Ginkgolide B, Ginkgolide C, and Bilobalide) and flavonol aglycones (Quercetin, Kaempferol, and Isorhamnetin) and flavonol glycosides. Methanol-water (1:1) extracts of ginkgolides and flavonoids from seven commercially available Ginkgo biloba products and three standard reference materials (SRM 3246 ginkgo biloba leaves, SRM 3247 Ginkgo biloba extract, and SRM 3248 ginkgo biloba tablet) from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) were analyzed qualitatively (by full-scan MS ) and quantitatively (by UV detection at 370 nm). While the ratios of components were similar for the SRMs, the commercial Ginkgo Biloba products showed widely varying ratios. Unfortunately, quantitative analysis of flavonol glycosides is difficult due to the lack of commercially available standards. However, the relative abundance of the major peaks can be calculated according to the respective peak area of each major peak and the sum of the peak areas of all major peaks.

Technical Abstract: The leaf extract of Ginkgo biloba has purported value for improving mental capacities in Alzheimer’s patients. The flavonoids and the ginkgolides are considered to be the two main active components that influence human health. This paper presents a chromatographic method with UV and mass spectroscopic detection for determining the composition of flavonoids and the ginkgolides in ginkgo products. A gradient reversed-phase HPLC method was developed that was suitable for separation of ginkgolides (Ginkgolide A, Ginkgolide B, Ginkgolide C, and Bilobalide) and flavonol aglycones (Quercetin, Kaempferol, and Isorhamnetin) and flavonol glycosides. Methanol-water (1:1) extracts of ginkgolides and flavonoids from seven commercially available Ginkgo biloba products and three standard reference materials (SRM 3246 ginkgo biloba leaves, SRM 3247 Ginkgo biloba extract, and SRM 3248 ginkgo biloba tablet) from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) were analyzed qualitatively (by full-scan MS ) and quantitatively (by UV detection at 370 nm). While the ratios of components were similar for the SRMs, the commercial Ginkgo Biloba products showed widely varying ratios. Unfortunately, quantitative analysis of flavonol glycosides is difficult due to the lack of commercially available standards. However, the relative abundance of the major peaks can be calculated according to the respective peak area of each major peak and the sum of the peak areas of all major peaks.