Semi-preparative HPLC isolation of bioactive compounds from Lippia citriodora extract: a useful nutraceutical approach

Lippia citriodora (lemon verbena), a shrub indigenous to South America, was introduced into Europe at the end of the 17th century and has been widely used in infusions for its antispasmodic, antipyretic, sedative, and digestive properties. Furthermore, this plant is used in the food industry to flavour different products. Lemon verbena infusion contains significant amounts of polyphenols with healthy properties including high antioxidant activity1. Nevertheless, a better knowledge of the phenolic composition from lemon verbena polyphenols could be useful for nutraceutical development. In this work, the compounds in the L. citriodora extract were isolated by semipreparative HPLC according to their elution order. A total of 11 fractions were collected and the solvent was evaporated under vacuum. The residue of each fraction was weighted and dissolved with an appropriate volume of water at concentration level of 100 g/mL. Finally, fractions were filtered through a 0.25 μm filter. Afterwards, the composition of each fraction was established by a detailed HPLC-ESI/DAD-TOF-MS analysis2. A total of 30 compounds were identified in the L. citriodora extract belonging to various structural classes such as iridoids, flavonoids and phenylethanoids, most of them with a demonstrated antoxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities.