Efficient HPLC Procedures for Natural Product Isolation: Application to Phenolics from Timber

We undertook the (re-)investigations of the chemical composition of the phenolic contents of Malaysian timber species. In order to efficiently isolate these constituents, we developed semi-automated separation procedures. It includes the extensive use of HPLC systems, operated at low or high pressure, in conjunction with automatic injection and automatic fraction collection. The efficiency of this procedure is demonstrated by the isolation of an array of oligostilbenoids from the heartwood of chengal (Neobalanocarpus heimii, Dipterocarpaceae), when only a single compound was isolated by the previous investigators.