Two-Step Purification of Cordycepin from Cordyceps millitaris by High-Speed Countercurrent Chromatography

Abstract

Cordycepin is successfully isolated and purified from Cordyceps millitaris in a two-step purification by high-speed countercurrent chromatography. Two solvent systems, ethyl acetate–1-butanol–water (3:2:5, v/v/v) and trichloromethane–methanol–1-butanol–water (2:1:0.25:1, v/v/v/v), were used for the two-step purification. The purity of the prepared cordycepin was 98.1% according to the high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis.

Keywords:

• Cordycepin
• Cordyceps millitaris
• High-speed countercurrent chromatography
• HPLC

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

This research is partially supported by the China National 863 Hi-Tech Program under Grant 2007 AA021506.