Natural Products Chemistry - In the Lab: How Do We Figure Out What Our Natural Product Looks Like?

Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery
16 Sept 202006:55
EducationalLearning
32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRThe video script describes the process of examining natural products found in plants. It begins with drying and tearing leaves into smaller pieces for easier extraction. Methanol is used as a solvent to extract these products, which are then left to mix overnight. The process is compared to making tea, where hot water extracts flavors from tea leaves. After extraction, the solvent changes color, indicating the presence of natural products now dissolved within it. Filtration is used to separate the solution from the solid leaf material. The solvent is then removed through evaporation, facilitated by a rotary evaporator, leaving behind a mixture of natural products. To purify each product, chromatography is employed, specifically high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), which separates the mixture into individual components. The HPLC uses a liquid mobile phase and a stationary phase to separate the products at different rates, which are then collected into separate test tubes. An ultraviolet sensor detects each product, and the process concludes with the evaporation of the solvent to obtain pure natural products.

Takeaways
  • 🌿 **Natural Products in Plants**: Every plant contains a mixture of natural products, each with its own function.
  • ⚗️ **Extraction Process**: To study these products, they must be extracted from the plant material, often using a solvent like methanol.
  • 🍃 **Sample Preparation**: The plant material is dried and torn into smaller pieces to facilitate the extraction process.
  • 🧪 **Solvent Usage**: Methanol is poured over the sample to cover it completely, then left overnight for extraction.
  • ☕ **Home Extraction Example**: Making tea is a common household example of extraction, where hot water extracts flavors from tea leaves.
  • 🎨 **Color Change Indicator**: A change in the solvent's color indicates that natural products have been extracted into the solvent.
  • 🚫 **Solid Material Removal**: Filtration is used to separate the now unwanted solid leaf material from the liquid solution.
  • 🌡️ **Evaporation**: The solvent is removed by evaporation, which can be accelerated using a rotary evaporator.
  • 🔬 **Separation of Compounds**: Chromatography, specifically high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), is used to separate the mixture of natural products.
  • 📊 **HPLC Process**: The HPLC uses a liquid mobile phase and a stationary phase within a column to separate compounds based on their movement rates.
  • 🧴 **Fraction Collection**: As natural products are separated, they are collected into different test tubes, keeping them isolated from one another.
  • 🌟 **Detection and Purification**: An ultraviolet sensor detects the natural products as they pass through the HPLC, and the solvent can be evaporated to obtain pure compounds.
Q & A

  • What is the first step in examining natural products from plant leaves in a laboratory?

    -The first step is to dry down the leaf sample and tear it into smaller pieces to facilitate the extraction process.

  • What is a solvent and why is it used in the extraction process?

    -A solvent is a liquid capable of dissolving different substances. It is used to extract natural products from the plant sample by dissolving them.

  • Which solvent is used to extract natural products from the leaf sample in the script?

    -Methanol is used as the solvent to extract natural products from the leaf sample.

  • How long is the leaf sample left with the solvent for extraction?

    -The leaf sample is left with the solvent overnight to allow for thorough extraction of the natural products.

  • Can you explain the everyday example of extracting natural products given in the script?

    -The everyday example given is making a cup of tea. The hot water extracts the natural products from the tea bag, similar to the solvent extracting natural products from the leaf sample in a laboratory.

  • What happens to the solvent after extracting the natural products?

    -The solvent changes color, indicating that it has extracted the natural products from the leaf sample and they are now dissolved in the solvent, creating a solution.

  • How is the solid leaf material separated from the solution after extraction?

    -The process of filtration is used. The solution is poured through filter paper which catches the solid leaf material, allowing the liquid solution to pass through.

  • What is the purpose of evaporation in the extraction process?

    -Evaporation is used to remove the solvent from the solution. The solvent changes from a liquid to a gas when heated, leaving behind the extracted natural products.

  • How does a rotary evaporator work?

    -A rotary evaporator heats the solution, causing the solvent to evaporate. The gas travels up through the evaporator into a condenser where it cools and changes back into a liquid, which is collected separately, leaving the natural products behind.

  • What is chromatography and how is it used to separate natural products?

    -Chromatography is a process used to separate mixtures of natural products. It involves a mobile phase (liquid solvent) and a stationary phase (column packed with special material). Different natural products move through the stationary phase at different rates, allowing them to be separated.

  • How does high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) help in separating natural products?

    -HPLC automates the chromatography process using robotics, allowing for faster and more efficient separation of natural products. It also uses an ultraviolet sensor to detect and identify different natural products as they are separated.

  • How are the separated natural products collected after using HPLC?

    -The separated natural products are collected into successive test tubes as they come off the end of the HPLC column. The solvent can then be evaporated from the test tubes to obtain the pure natural products.

Outlines
00:00
🌿 Examining Natural Products in the Lab: Extraction and Filtration

The first paragraph introduces the process of examining natural products found in plants. It explains that plants contain a mixture of natural products, each with its own function. To study these, they must be extracted from the plant material. The speaker demonstrates this by drying and tearing down a leaf sample, which is then soaked in methanol to extract the natural products. The process is compared to making tea, where hot water extracts flavors from tea leaves. After extraction, the solution's color change indicates the presence of natural products in the solvent. The solid leaf material is removed through filtration, and the solvent is evaporated to leave behind a mixture of natural products. The rotary evaporator is used to speed up this process, separating the natural products based on their boiling points.

05:01
🧪 High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) for Separation

The second paragraph delves into the separation of natural products using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). This method is faster than manual separation due to its automated robotic process. HPLC uses a liquid mobile phase, composed of different solvent mixtures, and a stationary phase, which is a column packed with special material. The natural products move through the column at varying rates, facilitating their separation. The process involves injecting the mixture into the HPLC system, which collects the natural products in successive fractions as they exit the column. Each fraction is collected in a different test tube, keeping the products separate. An ultraviolet sensor detects the natural products as they pass through, generating a graph that corresponds to the sequence of test tubes. This graph helps identify which natural product has been collected in each test tube. Finally, the solvent can be evaporated from the test tubes to obtain the pure natural products.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡Natural Products
Natural products refer to substances that are derived from living organisms, such as plants, animals, or microorganisms. In the context of the video, they are the chemical compounds found within plant leaves that serve various functions. The video's theme revolves around the extraction, examination, and separation of these natural products using laboratory techniques.
💡Extraction
Extraction is the process of separating a desired substance from a mixture by dissolving it in a particular solvent. In the video, methanol is used as a solvent to extract natural products from the leaf sample. This process is crucial as it allows the examination of individual compounds that would otherwise be mixed together in the plant material.
💡Methanol
Methanol is a type of alcohol often used as a solvent in chemical experiments due to its ability to dissolve a wide range of substances. In the video, methanol is poured over the dried leaf sample to dissolve and extract the natural products. It is a key component in the initial stage of the laboratory process for isolating natural products.
💡Filtration
Filtration is a method to separate solids from fluids (liquids or gases) by passing the mixture through a filter. In the video, after the natural products have been extracted into the methanol, the mixture is filtered to remove the solid leaf material. This leaves behind a clear solution of natural products in the solvent, ready for further processing.
💡Evaporation
Evaporation is the process by which a liquid turns into a gas when it is heated. In the context of the video, evaporation is used to remove the solvent from the solution, leaving behind the extracted natural products. This is done more efficiently using a rotary evaporator, which speeds up the process and allows for better control.
💡Rotary Evaporator
A rotary evaporator is a laboratory apparatus used to remove solvents from a solid or semi-solid sample. It works by heating the sample while rotating it to create a large surface area, thus accelerating the evaporation process. In the video, the rotary evaporator is used to evaporate the methanol solvent, leaving behind a concentrated mixture of natural products.
💡Chromatography
Chromatography is a technique used to separate mixtures into their individual components. It involves a mobile phase, which carries the sample, and a stationary phase, where the separation occurs. In the video, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is used to separate the extracted natural products into their individual components, allowing for further analysis and purification.
💡High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)
HPLC is a form of chromatography that uses a pressurized liquid as the mobile phase. It is an advanced technique that automates the process of separating complex mixtures into individual components. In the video, HPLC is used to separate the mixture of natural products obtained from the leaf sample, with the help of a liquid mobile phase and a column packed with special material.
💡Mobile Phase
In chromatography, the mobile phase is the fluid that carries the sample through the system. It is made up of a mixture of different solvents in the case of HPLC. The mobile phase interacts with the stationary phase and the sample, leading to the separation of different components based on their varying solubility and interaction with the stationary phase.
💡Stationary Phase
The stationary phase in chromatography is the medium that remains stationary while the mobile phase moves through it. It is typically a column packed with a special material that has a high surface area to facilitate the separation of different components in the mixture. In the video, the stationary phase is the column through which the natural products move at different rates, leading to their separation.
💡Ultraviolet Sensor
An ultraviolet (UV) sensor is a device that detects the presence of UV light, which can be indicative of certain chemical compounds. In the context of the video, the UV sensor in the HPLC system is used to detect the natural products as they elute from the column. This provides a visual representation of the compounds, allowing the experimenter to identify and collect the individual natural products.
Highlights

Using leaves as an example to examine natural products in the laboratory.

Every plant contains a mixture of natural products, each with its own function.

Drying and tearing down leaf samples to facilitate the extraction process.

Using methanol as a solvent to extract natural products from the leaf sample.

Allowing the solvent to interact with the sample overnight for thorough extraction.

Making a cup of tea as an everyday example of extracting natural products.

Observing the color change in the solvent, indicating the extraction of natural products.

Filtration process to remove solid leaf material from the solution.

Evaporation process to remove the solvent, leaving behind the natural product mixture.

Using a rotary evaporator for a faster and more controlled evaporation process.

Separating the natural product mixture using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

HPLC utilizes a liquid mobile phase and a stationary phase to separate components.

Automated robotics in HPLC for faster and more efficient separation of natural products.

Collecting successive fractions of the solvent as each natural product is separated.

Detection of natural products by an ultraviolet sensor during HPLC, providing a graphical representation.

Evaporating the solvent from the test tube to obtain pure natural products.

The process results in a messy gummy mixture that represents a mixture of natural products.

The ability to separate and obtain each natural product as a pure substance.

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Natural ProductsLaboratory TechniquesSolvent ExtractionFiltration ProcessEvaporationRotary EvaporatorHPLCChromatographyMethanol SolventTea ExtractionPurification