Supercritical fluid extraction and high performance liquid chromatographic determination of benzopyrans and phloroglucinol derivative in Hypericum polyanthemum

The aerial parts of Hypericum polyanthemum Klotzsch ex Reichardt (Guttiferae) were successively extracted with supercritical carbon dioxide (SC CO₂) under pressures of 90, 120, 150 and 200 bar at different temperatures (40, 50 and 60 °C), and compared with the n-hexane extract obtained by ultrasound-assisted extraction. The samples obtained were examined regarding extraction yield and HPLC quantification of the main secondary metabolites, the benzopyrans HP1 (6-isobutyryl-5,7-dimethoxy-2,2-dimethylbenzopyran), HP2 (7-hydroxy-6-isobutyryl-5-methoxy-2,2-dimethyl-benzopyran) and HP3 (5-hydroxy-6-isobutyryl-7-methoxy-2,2-dimethyl) and the phloroglucinol derivative, uliginosin B. SFE presented higher selectivity than the n-hexane maceration, and the best condition to extract the target metabolites has been determined to be at 50 °C and for the high molecular-weight compound, uliginosin B, higher pressures were required.