Microwave-assisted extraction followed by RP-HPLC for the simultaneous extraction and determination of forsythiaside A, rutin, and phillyrin in the fruits of Forsythia suspensa

An optimized microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) method and RP-HPLC method were developed for the simultaneous extraction and determination of rutin, forsythiaside A, and phillyrin in the fruits of Forsythia suspensa. The key parameters of the open-vessel MAE process were optimized. A mixed solvent of methanol and water (70:30, v/v) was most suitable for the simultaneous extraction of the three components. The sample was soaked for 10 min before extraction. The optimized conditions were: microwave power 400 W, temperature 70 degrees C, solvent-to-material ratio 30 mL/g, and extraction time 1 min. Compared to conventional extraction methods, the proposed method can simultaneously extract the three components in high yields and was proved to be a more rapid method with a lower solvent consumption. The optimized HPLC-photodiode array detection analysis was validated to have good linearity, precision, accuracy, and sensitivity. The developed MAE followed by RP-HPLC is a fast and appropriate method for the simultaneous extraction and determination of rutin, forsythiaside A, and phillyrin in the fruits of F. suspensa.