Quantitative analysis method for mumefural in Japanese apricot fruit juice concentrate

Abstract

Mumefural is a component of Japanese apricot fruit juice concentrate, which has been used as a traditional nonofficial medicine in Japan, and was reported to have an activity to improve the blood fluidity. For quantitative analysis of mumefural, water extract of the fruit-juice concentrate was loaded on a cartridge column for solid-phase extraction (Oasis® HLB, Waters) and eluted with 20% acetonitrile. Following HPLC analysis on a XTerra™ MS C18 column (Waters) by linear gradient elution with acetonitrile-20 mM sodium phosphate buffer (pH 2.3) gave a peak of mumefural at 280 nm, from which area quantity of the compound could be elucidated based on the calibration curve obtained in this work. Mumefural content of 4 Japanese apricot fruit-juice concentrates was determined as 1.41 mg/g, 0.361 mg/g, 11.5 mg/g, and 3.82 mg/ g, respectively, by this method. Accurate molar absorption coefficient (ε) of mumefural was determined as 1.78 × 104 (λmax 282 nm, water). Since mumefural is highly hygroscopic amorphous solid, it is difficult to weigh out an accurate quantity for preparation of a standard solution. Molar absorption coefficient of mumefural is, therefore, useful to calibrate the concentration of the standard solution for HPLC analysis.