Preparative isolation and purification of acteoside and 2′-acetyl acteoside from Cistanches salsa (C.A. Mey.) G. Beck by high-speed counter-current chromatography

High-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) was applied to the separation and purification of phenylethanoid glycosides (PhGs) acteoside and 2′-acetylacteoside from Cistanches salsa (C.A. Mey) G. Beck with a quaternary two-phase solvent system composed of ethyl acetate–n-butanol–ethanol–water (4:0.6:0.6:5, v/v). HPLC analyses of the CCC fractions revealed that the two main PhGs were over 98% purity. Their chemical structures were identified by 1H NMR, 13C NMR and MS.