Solanesol extraction from tobacco leaves by Flash chromatography based on molecularly imprinted polymers

A novel solanesol extraction method based on molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) as the Flash chromatography stationary phase was established and evaluated. Spherical MIP particles in a size range of 250–350   μm (d (0.5)   =   320   μm) for solanesol were synthesized by suspension polymerization, with imprinting factor of 3.9. The MIP particles (5.5   g) were packed in common Teflon column as the stationary phase while the sample solution and elution solvent were confirmed as methanol and methanol/acetic acid solution (80/20, v/v), loading at 4   ml/min and eluting 8   ml/min, respectively. Under the optimal chromatographic conditions, the adsorption capacity of the MIP-Flash column was determined as 107.3   μmol/g, and in each process, 370.8   mg purified solanesol (98.4%) could be obtained from the extract (20   mM, 40   ml) of tobacco leaves (14.7   g), and the yield of solanesol was 2.5% of the dry weight of tobacco leaves. The results reported here confirm the feasibility to extract highly purified active ingredients directly from natural products on a large scale by MIP-Flash chromatography.