Abstract
A simultaneous quantitative analytical method for eight polyphenols, e.g. mangiferin (1), gallic acid (2), protpcatechuic acid
(3), (+)-catechin (4), (–)-epicatechin (5), gallocatechin (6), (–)-epigallocatechin (7), and (–)-4'-O-methylepigallocatechin (8),
as functional constituents in the roots and stems of the genus Salacia species (Hippocraceae) was developed. The content of
caffeine (9), which showed similar chromatographic behavior under the analytical conditions, was also determined. The optimum
conditions for separation and detection of these polyphenol constituents were achieved on an ODS column (3 μm particle size, 2.1
mm i.d. × 100 mm) with methanol / 0.1% aqueous formic acid solvent system as the mobile phase, associated with MS equipped
with an electrospray ionization source. Totally 47 Salacia samples from the different origin including S. chinensis (2 roots and 28
stems), S. reticulata (6 roots and 3 stems), and S. oblonga (8 roots) were analyzed, and the results indicated that mangiferin (1) had
a characteristic distributions due to the plant part [roots (1.95–40.5 mg/g from the dried material) > stems ( < 0.258 mg/g)]. Among
the root part, the inner root bark was found to observe the richest content of mangiferin (1).
