High Performance Liquid Chromatographic Analyses of Higenamine Enantiomers in Aconite Roots

The enantiomers of higenamine were directly separated by high performance liquid chromatography using a chiral stationary phase and detected by UV. The R- and S-isomers of higenamine were eluted at the retention time of 22 min and 27 min, respectively. Higenamine was determined to be present as R-(+)-enantiomer not only in the embryo of Nelumbo nucifera, from which the separation of R-(+)-higenamine was reported, but also in various Aconite roots, from which higenamine was separated as optically inert racemic mixtures.