LIQUID LIQUID PARTITION CHROMATOGRAPHY IN NATURAL PRODUCT ISOLATION

The applications of droplet countercurrent chromatography and centrifugal partition chromatography (CPC) to the isolation and purification of natural products are described. The former is a well established technique which has been used extensively in the isolation of polar substances and the fractionation of crude plant extracts. The recent introduction of different CPC techniques and instruments has permitted a reduction of separation times. Two of these instruments (the cartridge centrifugal partition chromatograph and the high-speed coil separator-extractor) have been applied to the separation of natural products of widely differing polarities. They offer the advantage of being able to reverse the solvent flow. Other developments are in progress to further improve the capabilities of these chromatographs. A description of the different instruments is provided, together with details of their mode of operation and a discussion of experimental parameters, such as flow-rates, rotation speeds, solvent selection and the application of aqueous and non-aqueous systems. © 1990.