HPLC method for the quantitative determination of sarcophine, a source of cembranoids with cancer chemopreventive activity.

An accurate, reproducible and sensitive method for the quantitative determination of sarcophine in the organic extract of the Red Sea soft coral Sarcophyton species was developed and validated. Sarcophine concentration was determined by RP HPLC using ODS column. The mobile phase was made up of 70% acetonitrile in deionized water and the pH was adjusted to 3.5 with phosphoric acid. The flow rate was 1.5ml/min and the detector was set to 220nm. The HPLC analysis of several Sarcophyton glaucum samples collected from different locations in the Red Sea revealed that Hurghada had the highest sarcophine concentration.