High-Content Analysis of Chelidonine and Berberine from Iranian Chelidonium majus L. Ecotypes in Different Ontogenetical Stages Using Various Methods of Extraction

Chelidonium majus is a perennial plant of the Papaveraceae family. This plant has been known as a rich source of isoquinoline alkaloids, chelidonine, and berberine, which are pharmaceutically important for their anti-cancerous activities. In the current study, four extraction techniques were compared in terms of their yield potential for chelidonine and berberine. Afterwards, High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) with a photodiode array type of UV/VIS detector was used for the detection of chelidonine and berberine from leaves and roots of five ecotypes of C. majus during various ontogenetical stages. Based on our results, ultrasonic procedures and refluxing were the best techniques for extraction of these alkaloids. HPLC results inferred that chelidonine and berberine content of ecotypes belonging to the Northern provinces of Iran, i.e. Mazandaran (IBRCP1006619) and Gorgan (IBRCP1006625), were higher than the other ecotypes. Generally, the roots of the C. majus were the most suitable organ for extraction of chelidonine at the generative stage, while at the vegetative stage, leaves are the most suitable organ for extraction of berberine.