A comprehensive linear gradient solvent system for centrifugal partition chromatography (CPC) was developed for the bioassay-guided isolation of natural compounds. The gradient solvent system consisted of three different ternary biphasic solvents types: n-hexane-acetonitrile-water (10:2:8, v/v), ethyl acetate-acetonitrile-water (10:2:8, v/v), and water-saturated n-butanol-acetonitrile-water (10:2:8, v/v). The lower phase of the n-hexane-acetonitrile-water (10:2:8, v/v) was used as the stationary phase, while its upper phase, as well as ethyl acetate-acetonitrile-water (10:2:8), and water-saturated n-butanol-acetonitrile-water (10:2:8, v/v) were pumped to generate a linear gradient elution, increasing the mobile phase polarity. We used the gradient CPC to identify antioxidant response elements (AREs), inducing compounds from Centipeda minima, using an ARE-luciferase assay in HepG2 cells, which led to the purification of the active molecules 3-methoxyquercetin and brevilin A. The developed CPC solvent systems allow the separation and isolation of compounds with a wide polarity range, allowing active molecule identification in the complex crude extract of natural products.
Keywords: 3-methoxyquercetin; Centipeda minima; bioactivity-guided isolation; brevilin A; centrifugal partition chromatography; comprehensive linear gradient elution.