The application of ion-pair high performance countercurrent chromatography monitored by offline LC-ESI-MS/MS injections to study betalain metabolite from Vietnamese red dragon fruit (Hylocereus polyrhizus)

Abstract

The pre-purified betalain extract from Vietnamese red dragon fruits (Hylocereus polyrhizua) was fractionated by a high performance countercurrent chromatography (HPCCC) device using the ion-pair forming biphasic solvent of tert-butylmethylether/M-butanol/acctonitrile/1% aqueous trifluoroacetic acid (2:2:1:5, v/v/v/v). The .J-type HPCCC centrifuge with a 240g centrifugal force field was able to fractionate seven pigments from a 350 mg enriched crude pigment fruit extract. resulting in purified fractions for qualitative identification by LC-ESl-MS/MS.