LC-NMR coupling technology: recent advancements and applications in natural products analysis

An overview of recent advances in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) coupled with separation technologies and their application in natural product analysis is given and discussed. The different modes of LC–NMR operation are described, as well as how technical improvements assist in establishing LC–NMR as an important tool in the analysis of plant‐derived compounds. On‐flow, stopped‐flow and loop‐storage procedures are mentioned, together with the new LC–SPE–NMR configuration. The implementation of mass spectrometry in LC–NMR is also useful on account of the molecular weight and fragmentation information that it provides, especially when new plant species are studied. Cryogenic technology and capillary LC–NMR are the other important recent developments. Since the plant kingdom is endless in producing potential drug candidates, development and optimization of LC–NMR techniques convert the study of natural products to a less‐time‐consuming task, speeding up identification. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.