RESUMEN
Xue-Zhi-Ning (XZN) is a traditional Chinese medicine formula, containing active ingredients with poor solubility in water, which has been demonstrated to be helpful for patients with hyperlipidemia. One-pot ß-cyclodextrin (ß-CD)-assisted extraction of active ingredients from XZN has been carried out to develop an efficient and eco-friendly extraction process. Five active compounds--rubrofusarin gentiobioside, 2,3,5,4'-tetrahydroxy-stilbene-2-O-ß-D-glucoside, emodin, nuciferine and quercetin--were identified by UPLC/DAD/MS and used as indexes to evaluate the process optimized by an orthogonal test. The results showed that addition of ß-CD significantly enhanced the extraction ratios of all five components. The enhancement of extraction ratios was positively correlated with the apparent formation constants between ß-CD and the compounds. The study also showed that the stabilities and dissolution rates of the active ingredients were improved in the presence of ß-CD. This one-pot ß-cyclodextrin-assisted extraction has the potential to be applied in pharmaceutical preparations directly.