Efficient preparative isolation and identification of walnut bioactive components using high-speed counter-current chromatography and LC-ESI-IT-TOF-MS.

Preparative isolation of complex mixtures of compounds from walnut polar extracts was established by a combination of high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) and electrospray ionization-ion trap-time of flight mass spectrometry (ESI-IT-TOF-MS). Compounds were isolated after a solvent optimisation selection based on solute distribution in a biphasic solvent system. Isolation was achieved through one or two successive HSCCC runs, and final purification on Sephadex LH-20.