PH-zone-refining counter-current chromatography with a hydrophilic organic/salt-containing two-phase solvent system for preparative separation of polar alkaloids from natural products.

This study presents an efficient strategy based on pH-zone-refining counter-current chromatography with a hydrophilic organic/salt-containing two-phase system composed of acetonitrile, sodium chloride and water for preparative separation of polar alkaloids from natural products. Acetonitrile-sodium chloride-water system provides a wider range of polarity for polar alkaloids than classical aqueous two-phase systems. It gets rid of the effect of free hydrogen ion, strong ionic strength, hold low viscosity and the sharp retainer border could be formed easily.