Preparation and purification of epigallocatechin by high-speed countercurrent chromatography (HSCCC)

Epigallocatechin (EGC) was prepared by the degallation of Epigallocatechin-O-3-gallate (EGCG). EGCG was completely converted to EGC and gallic acid by adding 4 mg tarmase/100 mg EGCG at the concentration of 2 mg/mL under pH 6.0, at 35degreesC for 30 min. EGC was then separated from the reaction mixture by HSCCC, using a two-phase solvent system composed of hexane-ethyl acetate-water (1/9/10, v/v/v). Finally, 1.3 g of EGC at 97% purity was prepared from about 2.3 g of EGCG at 85% purity, indicating that EGC was almost completely recovered by HSCCC.