Extraction and identification of active ingredients in Rhubarb plant

Rhubarb is a plant from the Polygonaceae family, native to Asia (likely Siberia or the Himalayas). In this study, Rheum plants were dried in a cool and dark place, and then the stem and flower powders were extracted using hexane, chloroform, and methanol solvents at room temperature with a Soxhlet apparatus. Column and plate chromatography were then used for the main separation of the extract components. The hexane, chloroform, and methanol extracts of the Rheum stem were separated into 11, 8, and 7 parts, respectively, using the solvent systems of ethyl acetate/petroleum ether, chloroform/methanol/ethyl acetate, and methanol/ethyl acetate/water/acetic acid. The pure compounds were identified using FT-IR, H1 NMR, and C13 NMR spectroscopy.