Separation and Purification of Aloe Anthraquinones Using PEG/Salt Aqueous Two-Phase System

The anthraquinones were extracted from Curacao aloe leaves. Aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) of polyethylene glycol (PEG)/salt, coupled with spectrophotometry and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were employed for the first time as an attractive alternative for the downstream processing of aloe anthraquinones, mainly for the removal of the impurities without additional steps. The influence factors such as molecular mass and concentration of PEG, type, and concentration of neutral salt, temperature, and pH on the phase partition behavior of ATPS had been studied. Under the optimal condition, the highest extraction yield 90.54% was obtained in PEG phase using PEG-6000/(NH4)2SO4 system to a mass ratio of 2:1 at 40°C, pH 3.0 with 0.6 g sodium chloride added. The reverse extraction of anthraquinones from the PEG phase was achieved with a recovery of 70.15% by adjusting the pH. Meanwhile, the PEG could be recycled. The major components in aloe anthraquinones of aloe-emodin and chrysophanol were analyzed by HPLC before and after ATPS extraction process. Compared with conventional purification methods, this technique can be completed in one operation; besides it is low-cost and environmentally friendly.