HPLC quantitative analysis of scutellarein tetramethyl ether: the active component of Chromolaena odorata leaf extract

Chromolaena odorata (L.) King and Robinson (Siam weed) is a medicinal herb used for stop-bleeding, anti-inflammation and wound healing in tropical countries for centuries. It contains various bioactive components. Among them, scutellarein tetramethyl ether has been reported as a bioactive component for blood coagulation. In our previous study, it was shown as a bioactive component for anti-inflammation. In this study, we developed the HPLC analytical method for quantitative determination of this compound in C. odorata leaf extract. The method was validated for its linearity, precision, accuracy, limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ). The separation was carried out using a Hypersil BDS C₁₈-column eluted with methanol: 0.5% acetic acid (60:40) with a flow rate of 1 mL/min and detection at UV 268nm. Scutellarein tetramethyl ether showed a linear relationship within the range of 12.5 – 500 µg/mL. The method was shown to be precise with RSD < 2%. The average recovery was almost 100%. The average content of scutellarein tetramethyl ether in the extract was 102.9 µg/mL. The proposed HPLC method was appropriate for the analysis of scutellarein tetramethyl ether in C. odorata extract and would be useful for standardization of this plant extract.