Automated technology for purification of active ingredients in natural products

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The analysis of complex natural mixtures presents a significant scientific challenge in CAM and other biomedical studies involving natural products and other complex bio/chemical samples, particularly when the need for purification of minor constituents arises. For this reason, its high loading capacity and selectivity has made countercurrent chromatography (CCC) a valuable tool in natural products research. CCC is a low-pressure separation technique, free of solid adsor bents, which provides gentle fractionation along with 100% sample recovery. Further, its frugal use of consumables makes CCC highly economical, both environmentally and fiscally. Unfortunately, utilizing CCC technology can be challenging, as it involves th e manual operation of a multi-component system. Successful use of CCC requires specialized training and considerable experience. Automation, as it has for many other technologies, could effectively mitigate this burden. However, to date, challenges imposed by the dynamic nature of its column has prevented such development. Phase I of this STTR project will address these challenges by (1) exploring liquid stationary phase loss of typical CCC instruments, (2) considering the costs and benefits of required ele ctronics and sensing, then (3) constructing an effective apparatus for testing ultimate feasibility. Based on these results, the long-term objective of this project and the ultimate marketable product will be a fully functional push-button CCC controller. Such a machine will not only provide the full separation power of CCC to minimally trained users, but also significantly enhance current capabilities available to experienced users. Automated CCC will provide a significant contribution to the goals of NIH, furthering the capabilities of biomedical researchers in their search to cure human disease. Specifically, the success of this project will be demonstrated by its application to the purification and study of bioactive phytochemicals present in commonly us ed dietary supplements and that show promise in the fight against tuberculosis. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Effective chemical separation of natural materials is a fundamental part of biomedical research. The proposed project aims to further develop th is technology, making it more functional, efficient, easy to use, and economical. The result will provide researchers with improved access to the materials they require, increasing their productivity, and therefore providing faster discovery of chemistry w ith benefits for human health.