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Title: Simultaneous determination and characterization of tannins and triterpene saponins from the fruits of various species of terminalia and phyllantus emblica using UPLC-UV-MS method: application to triphala

Author
item AVULA, BHARATHI - University Of Mississippi
item WANG, YAN-HONG - University Of Mississippi
item WANG, MEI - University Of Mississippi
item SHEN, YUN-HENG - University Of Mississippi
item KHAN, IKHLAS - University Of Mississippi

Submitted to: Planta Medica
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/17/2012
Publication Date: 1/15/2013
Citation: Avula, B., Wang, Y., Wang, M., Shen, Y., Khan, I.A. 2013. Simultaneous determination and characterization of tannins and triterpene saponins from the fruits of various species of terminalia and phyllantus emblica using UPLC-UV-MS method: application to triphala. Planta Medica. 79(20:181-188.

Interpretive Summary: The developed method is suitable for rapid simultaneous analysis of tannins and triterpene saponins and useful for chemical fingerprint analysis. All tannins and triterpene saponins analyzed were detected from T. chebula. The samples of T. arjuna showed for the presence of three tannins and all saponins. T. bellirica and P. emblica showed for the presence of tannins only. The composition or content of total tannins is another feature to distinguish the four different plant samples. The range was from 20-41 %, 9-15%. 0.2-0.3 % and 3-5 % for T. chebula, T. bellirica, T. arjuna, and P. emblica, respectively. LC-mass spectrometry coupled with electrospray ionization (ESI) method is described for the identification, characterization and confirmation of compounds from various plant samples and commercial products.

Technical Abstract: Terminalia is a genus of large trees of the flowering plant family Combretaceae, comprising around 100 species distributed in tropical regions of the world. The fruits and bark of different species of Terminalia have been used since ancient times for the treatment of various ailments. Some of its species have been used in either single or multiple herbal Ayurvedic formulations. Terminalia species are rich sources of secondary metabolites such as cyclic triterpenes and their derivatives, flavonoids, tannins, and phenolic acids. The exact chemical classes and concentration levels may vary in different Terminalia species. In the present study, a simple and precise UPLC-UV-MS method for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of the fourteen compounds (tannins and triterpene saponins) from fruits of Terminalia species and P. emblica is reported. A UPLC-MS method is described for the characterization, identification and confirmation of these compounds and many others from various species of Terminalia and P. emblica. Six marketed triphala products (ayurvedic medicine) were also analyzed.