Simultaneous determination of epicatechin and procyanidin A2 markers in Litchi chinensis leaves by high-performance liquid chromatography

AbstractThe fruits of Litchi chinensis Sonn., Sapindaceae, are renowned for their biological activities. However, their leaves are poorly explored, although they represent an important source of vegetable raw material with biological properties as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive. An HPLC method was developed and validated for the simultaneous quantification of epicatechin and procyanidin A2 in the leaf hydroethanolic extract of L. chinensis. The markers and other unidentified components were separated on a Luna Phenomenex C18 column (250mm×4.6mm, 5μm) with mobile phase composed of acetonitrile: water pH 3.0 (with sulfuric acid), in a gradient run; at 1.0mlmin−1, 30°C and 278nm for detection. The method was linear over an epicatechin and procyanidin A2 concentration range of 10–100μgml−1. The Limit of Quantification for epicatechin and procyanidin A2 were 1.7 and 2μgml−1, respectively. The Relative Standard Deviation (%) values for markers (intra- and inter-day precision studies) were