In this research, two primary bioactive components were isolated from Cynodon dactylon (L) Pers, commonly known as Durva grass. A gradient reverse phase High performance liquid chromatography coupled to Photodiode array detector (RP-HPLC-PDA) technique was established to identify and quantify these major bioactive constituents in 70% hydroalcoholic extracts of Cynodon dactylon (L) Pers. The chromatographic separation was achieved using an RP-C18 column (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 µm), Alliance (Waters) Empower3 liquid chromatography system, and a gradient mobile phase consisting of 5% acetic acid and acetonitrile. The flow rate was set at 1.2 mL/min, and a PDA detector at 320 nm was employed to analyze column effluents, targeting the active compounds' isotactic point. The retention times for the compounds p-coumeric and ferulic acid were determined as 24.11 and 31.52 min. The method exhibited linearity within the concentration range of 2–10 µg/mL, with regression coefficients of 0.998 and 0.9967 for the respective compounds. The mean recovery of p-coumeric and ferulic acid were found to between 102.64 and 109.44%. The RP-HPLC method was validated in accordance with ICH guidelines.

KEY WORDS: 4-Hydroxycinnamic acid, Durva grass, Bioactive, Liquid-liquid extraction, RP-HPLC

Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2024, 38(6), 1533-1542.                                                       

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v38i6.3