Gradient elution for triterpene separation from Cecropia lyratiloba Miquel by HSCCC

The triterpenoid pool from the dichloromethane fraction obtained from the methanolic extract of roots of Cecropia lyratiloba Miquel was submitted to CCC using a gradient elution consisting of Hex/EtOAc/MeOH/H2O-1/2/X/1 (X = 0.5 (A); 0.75 (B); 1.0 (C); 1.5 (D); 2.0 (E)) in five steps. The lower aqueous phase was used as mobile phase, 2 mL/min at 850 rpm. This procedure led to the isolation of tormentic acid and a mixture of tormentic and euscaphic acids. In order to improve the triterpene separation the fractions Fr 31-49 were submitted to a new CCC run using a fine adjustment of the methanol concentration in the gradient elution system. This separation procedure led to the isolation of euscaphic acid, 3-acetyl tormentic acid and a mixture of tormentic and isoarjunolic acids.