Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Extraction and purification of formonometin from Trifolium pratense L: Physicochemical properties of its complex with lecithin

Korbanjhon Brad¹, Yan Zhang² , Jie Gao²

¹College of Chemistry and Environmental Sciences, Yili Normal University, Yining, 835000; ²Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Tianjin 300457, China.

For correspondence:- Yan Zhang Email: cpzyyan@126.com Tel:+8613752353154

Received: 5 April 2017 Accepted: 23 July 2017 Published: 31 August 2017

Citation: Brad K, Zhang Y, Gao J. Extraction and purification of formonometin from Trifolium pratense L: Physicochemical properties of its complex with lecithin. Trop J Pharm Res 2017; 16(8):1757-1763 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v16i8.2

© 2017 The authors.
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Abstract

Purpose: To isolate formononetin from Trifolium pratense L. (red clover), prepare its complex with lecithin foe enhanced solubility and evaluate its physicochemical properties.

Methods: Formononetin was extracted from red clover. The complex of formononetin with lecithin was prepared by solvent method in a ratio of 2.5:1.0 (lecithin : formononetin). The physicochemical properties of the complex were investigated by ultraviolet-visible spectrometry (UV/Vis), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and x-ray diffractometry (XRD).

Results: UV data showed that there was no significant difference (p < 0.05) between the peak intensity of the physical mixture and the complex, while FT-IR analysis indicated interaction between formononetin and lecithin. SEM showed that formononetin was successfully integrated in the structure of lecithin. DSC thermograms of the complex mainly demonstrated that the presence of lecithin caused the disappearing of characteristic endothermal peaks of formononetin, while x-diffractograms indicate that the crystalline peak of formononetin was absent in the complex.

Conclusion: The complex formed is held together by non-covalent-bonds and thus demonstrates new physical and chemical characteristics.

Keywords: Formononetin, Lecithin, Complex, Physicochemical characteristics