A Validated Chromatographic Method for the Determination of Flavonoids in Copaifera langsdorffii by HPLC

Hydroethanolic extracts of C. langsdorffii leaves have therapeutic potential. This work reports a validated chromatographic method for the quantification of polar compounds in the hydroethanolic extract of C. langsdorffii leaves. A reliable HPLC method was developed using two monolithic columns linked in series (100 × 4.6 mm – C18), with nonlinear gradient elution, and UV detection set at 257 nm. A procedure for the extraction of flavonols was also developed, which involved the use of 70% aqueous ethanol and the addition of benzophenone as the internal standard. The developed method led to a good detection response as the values for linearity were between 10.3 and 1000 μg/mL, and those for recovery between 84.2 and 111.1%. The detection limit ranged from 0.02 to 1.70 μg/mL and the quantitation limit from 0.07 to 5.1 μg/mL, with a maximum RSD of 5.24%. Five compounds, rutin, quercetin-3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside, kaempferol-3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside, quercetin and kaempferol, were quantified. This method could, therefore, be used for the quality control of hydroethanolic extracts of Copaifera leaves and their cosmetic and pharmaceutical products.