Enhanced separation and purification of curcuminoids on polyamide column via noncovalent interactions

In this study, a blend of polyamide-6 and poly(styrene-divinyl benzene) (PA-PS-DVB) was prepared and used to produce high-purity individual curcuminoids such as curcumin, demethoxycurcumin (DMC), and bisdemethoxycurcum (BDMC) from turmeric crude extracts. The effects of pH and temperature on the adsorption capacities of the curcuminoids were investigated in details. Dynamic experiments on packed columns of PA-PS-DVB resin were performed, and an optimized process for gradient elution was obtained and the obtained products were further recrystallized in isopropanol. The purities of curcumin, DMC, and BDMC increased up to 99.28%, 98.8%, and 98.2%, respectively. In conclusion, the results in this work provide a cost-effective method for large-scale production of high-purity individual curcuminoids. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.