Identification and quantification of the constituents of madder root by gas chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography

The possibilities in the identification and quantitation of the constituents of Rubia tinctorum L.ʹs root, called also madder root, was described and compared by gas chromatography (GC)–MS, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-UV/photodiode array detection (DAD) and HPLC-MS: chromatographic analyses were carried out in parallel, from the same samples/extracts/hydrolyzates. Anthraquinone glycosides, anthraquinones, carboxylic acids and sugars were determined directly in the presence of the matrix and in its extracts without and subsequently to hydrolyses. Hydrolyses were performed as a function of time, with hydrochloric and trifluoroacetic acids, as well as enzymatically. Data revealed that as hydrolyzing agent trifluoroacetic acid is to be preferred. Madder rootʹs anthraquinones (pseudopurpurin/purpurin, alizarin, lucidin, munjistin, nordamnacanthal) were identified on the basis of their absorption spectra (HPLC-DAD) and fragmentation patterns by GC–MS and HPLC-MS, equally. Reproducibility of anthraquinoneʹs quantitation, by HPLC-DAD and GC–MS, in the concentration ranges of 4 × 10−5 to 3 × 10−2 g/g dried sample, provided an average reproducibility of 4.2% (varying between 0.9 and 9.4% relative standard deviation (RSD percentages)). Carboxylic acids (malic, citric, quinic, rosmarinic acids) and saccharides (xylose, ribose, fructose, glucose, sucrose, primverose) were quantified as their trimethylsilyl (oxime) ether/ester derivatives by GC–MS, in the concentration ranges of 10−5 g to 10−2 g/g dried sample, with an average reproducibility of 4.7% RSD.