An efficient new method for extraction, separation and purification of psoralen and isopsoralen from Fructus Psoraleae by supercritical fluid extraction and high-speed counter-current chromatography

Psoralen and isopsoralen were extracted from Fructus Psoraleae (Psoralea corylitolia L.) by supercritical CO2. The effect of various parameters, i.e., pressure, temperature and sample particle size on yield was investigated with an analytical-scale supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) system to find the optimal conditions. The process was then scaled up by 50 times with a preparative SFE system under the optimized conditions of pressure (26 MPa), temperature (60 °C) and a sample particle size of 40–60 mesh. The yield of the preparative SFE was 9.1% and the combined yield of psoralen and isopsoralen was 2.5 mg/g of dry seeds. Psoralen and isopsoralen in the extract were separated and purified by high-speed counter-current chromatography with a two-phase solvent system composed of n-hexane–ethyl acetate–methanol–water (1:0.7:1:0.8, v/v), and the fractions were analyzed by HPLC, MS, 1H NMR and 13C NMR. The structures of the products were further confirmed by comparison with authentic samples (National Institute of the Control of Pharmaceutical and Biological Products, Beijing, China).