Ultra Fast Analysis (Part 2) Analysis of Impurities in Curcumin

Significance of the Topic

Curcumin and its related curcuminoids are widely used as natural food colorants and nutraceuticals. Accurate determination of their purity and trace impurities is critical for quality control in food and pharmaceutical industries. Ultra fast liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode array and mass spectrometric detection offers high throughput and enhanced impurity profiling capabilities.

Study Objectives and Overview

This work demonstrates an ultra fast analysis of curcumin standard solutions using Shimadzu’s Prominence UFLC paired with LCMS-2010EV. The study compares conventional HPLC and UFLC methods to assess analysis time reduction, impurity detection, and peak purity evaluation in two grades of commercial curcumin standards (grade A and B).

Methods

Ultrafast separation was achieved on a 75×2.0µm column packed with 2.2µm particles, using a 0.1% formic acid/acetonitrile mobile phase (60:40) at 0.4 mL/min. Detection combined a PDA set at 425 nm and negative-mode electrospray MS scanning m/z 150–500. Grade A and B samples (1 mg/mL in methanol) were injected (1 μl) at 40 °C.

Used Instrumentation

• Shimadzu Prominence UFLC system
• LCMS-2010EV mass spectrometer (ESI negative)
• SPD-M20A PDA detector (425 nm)
• Shim-pack XR-ODS (75×2.0 mm I.D., 2.2 µm) and Shim-pack VP-ODS (150×2.0 mm I.D., 5 µm) columns

Results and Discussion

Compared with a conventional 5 µm column requiring over 20 minutes per run, the UFLC method reduced analysis time by approximately 7 minutes. Grade A contained 87.2% curcumin, 11.5% demethoxycurcumin, and 1.1% bisdemethoxycurcumin. Additional minor peaks were detected at retention times of 1.34, 1.48, and 2.77 minutes. Grade B showed only curcumin, confirming higher purity. Peak purity assessment via PDA revealed full spectral homogeneity for principal curcuminoids. A previously unreported impurity (compound X) at 5.35 minutes exhibited UV maximum near 370 nm and an m/z of 369 [M–1]-, suggesting MW 370.

Practical Benefits and Applications

• Significant reduction in run times increases sample throughput and laboratory efficiency.
• Simultaneous PDA and MS detection enhances impurity identification and purity assessment.
• Applicable to routine quality control of natural product extracts and nutraceutical formulations.

Future Trends and Applications

Advances in column technologies and high-speed MS detectors will further decrease analysis times and increase resolution. Integration with automated sample preparation and data processing pipelines will support large-scale impurity profiling in pharmaceutical and food industries. Coupling UFLC-MS with high-resolution MS may reveal additional trace components and structural isomers.

Conclusion

The combination of Prominence UFLC and LCMS-2010EV enables ultra fast, reliable quantification and impurity profiling of curcumin standards. This approach streamlines quality control workflows by reducing analysis time, improving sensitivity, and providing comprehensive spectral data.