We are trying to analyze the endogenous volatile compounds of Mentha spicata and other Lamiaceae plants through GC-MS. We are using DCM but still the chlorophyll content in the leaf extract is too high. What other organic solvents can be used so that there is no chlorophyll content in the extract and the endogenous volatile components are also secure?
May I know what kind of endogenous volatile compounds that you want to isolate? If it is easily evaporated like alcohol variance or ketone, etc, then you can try by switching the polarity of solvents like non-polar to polar. By doing so, you can continue to use DCM after that use water to solved chlorophyll from DCM into the water. You can also switch the DCM with Hexane and continue to use water to solved chlorophyll although the chlorophyll amount in hexane would be very small. The benefit is the amount of chlorophyll would be decreased to the minimum. Of course its theoretically speaking, the wet lab would be different...
the second option is if the "volatile" that you seek is the one that very minute and volatile like the leaves smell. then you can try a type of carbon active to extract the material by heating in a closed chamber for certain time duration. One of the ready-made product is Monotrap
Cheers
AF
Hexane will extract chlorophylls!
Think about SPE to purify the extract or use headspace analysis for GC.
Regards
GB
we do not need to remove a chlorophyll from the extract of volatile oil if we use a Clevenger the oil will evaporate (not the chlorophyll) and accumulate in the side tube
Grzegorz Boczkaj I have used hexane but it is removing the volatile components also along with the chlorophyll. The plant I am working on is Mentha spicata and it has monoterpenes which I am not able to find by using hexane
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