Powdered Red Clover
DEFINITION
Powdered Red Clover is Red Clover reduced to a powder or very fine powder. It contains NLT 0.5% of isoflavones, calculated on the dried basis as the sum of daidzein, genistein, formononetin, and biochanin A.
IDENTIFICATION
• A. Thin-Layer Chromatographic Identification Test
Standard solution:
Transfer 100 mg of USP Powdered Red Clover Extract RS to a screw-capped centrifuge tube. Add 1 mL of a mixture of alcohol and water (7:3), and heat in a steam bath for 10 min. Centrifuge, and use the clear supernatant.
Sample solution:
Transfer 1 g of Powdered Red Clover to a screw-capped centrifuge tube. Add 10 mL of a mixture of methanol and water (3:2), heat in a steam bath for 10–15 min, cool, and filter.
Chromatographic system
Adsorbent:
0.25-mm layer of chromatographic silica gel mixture
Application volume:
20–30 µL, in bands 2 cm long
Developing solvent system:
Ethyl acetate, formic acid, glacial acetic acid, and water (100:11:11:27)
Spray reagent A:
10 mg/mL of 2-aminoethyl diphenylborinate in methanol
Spray reagent B:
50 mg/mL of polyethylene glycol 4000 in alcohol
Analysis
Samples:
Standard solution and Sample solution
Develop the chromatograms to a length of NLT 18 cm, and dry the plate in a current of air. Spray the plate with Spray reagent A followed by Spray reagent B, and examine the plate under UV light at 365 nm.
Acceptance criteria:
The Sample solution chromatogram exhibits a blue zone, a yellowish-green zone, and a yellowish-orange zone at RF values of about 0.70, 0.55, and 0.50, respectively, corresponding in color and RF to zones in the chromatogram of the Standard solution. Other colored zones of varying intensities may be observed in the chromatogram from the Sample solution.
• B. HPLC Identification Test
Analysis:
Proceed as directed for the Content of Isoflavones.
Using the values obtained in the test for Content of Isoflavones, calculate the ratio of 5,7-dihydroxyisoflavones to 7-hydroxyisoflavones:
Result = (B + G)/(D + F)
| B | = | = percentage of biochanin A |
| G | = | = percentage of genistein |
| D | = | = percentage of daidzein |
| F | = | = percentage of formononetin |
Acceptance criteria:
The chromatogram of the Sample solution exhibits peaks for daidzein, genistein, formononetin, and biochanin A at retention times that correspond to those in the chromatogram of Standard solution A, and the ratio of 5,7-dihydroxyisoflavones to 7-hydroxyisoflavones is between 0.1 and 10.
COMPOSITION
• Content of Isoflavones
Solution A:
Acetonitrile and water (1:3) containing 0.05% trifluoroacetic acid
Solution B:
Acetonitrile containing 0.05% trifluoroacetic acid
Mobile phase:
See Table 1.
Table 1
| Time (min) |
Solution A (%) |
Solution B (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 100 | 0 |
| 2 | 100 | 0 |
| 2.5 | 87 | 13 |
| 7.5 | 80 | 20 |
| 7.8 | 73 | 27 |
| 8.0 | 55 | 45 |
| 11.0 | 50 | 50 |
| 13.0 | 40 | 60 |
| 15.0 | 26 | 74 |
| 16.0 | 0 | 100 |
| 18.1 | 100 | 0 |
| 23.0 | 100 | 0 |
Solvent:
Alcohol and water (1:1)
Standard stock solution A:
Transfer a quantity of USP Powdered Red Clover Extract RS, equivalent to 30 mg of the labeled content of isoflavones, to a 250-mL volumetric flask. Add 15 mL of dehydrated alcohol, sonicate until dissolved, and dilute with Solvent to volume.
Standard solution A:
Evaporate 50 mL of Standard stock solution A to dryness under vacuum. Add 15 mL of 2 N hydrochloric acid, and heat in a water bath for 30 min. Quantitatively transfer the resulting solution, with the aid of 15 mL of alcohol, to a 50-mL volumetric flask, and dilute with Solvent to volume. Centrifuge, or filter through a membrane having a 0.45-µm or finer pore size.
Standard solution B:
0.1 mg/mL of USP Formononetin RS in a mixture of n-propanol and water (1:1). Sonicate, and filter through a membrane having a 0.45-µm or finer pore size.
Sample stock solution:
Transfer about 2.5 g of Powdered Red Clover, accurately weighed, into a 120-mL flask with a stopper. Add exactly 100 mL of Solvent, close the flask, and shake on an orbital or wrist-action shaker for NLT 12 h.
Sample solution:
Evaporate 50 mL of Sample stock solution to dryness under vacuum at 40
. Add 15 mL of 2 N hydrochloric acid, and heat in a water bath for 30 min. Quantitatively transfer this solution, with the aid of 15 mL of alcohol, to a 50-mL volumetric flask, and dilute with Solvent to volume. Filter through a membrane having a 0.45-µm or finer pore size, discarding the first 4 mL of the filtrate.
. Add 15 mL of 2 N hydrochloric acid, and heat in a water bath for 30 min. Quantitatively transfer this solution, with the aid of 15 mL of alcohol, to a 50-mL volumetric flask, and dilute with Solvent to volume. Filter through a membrane having a 0.45-µm or finer pore size, discarding the first 4 mL of the filtrate.
Chromatographic system
Mode:
LC
Detector:
UV 254 nm
Column:
4.6-mm × 25-cm; end-capped 5-µm packing L1
Column temperature:
45
Flow rate:
1.0 mL/min
Injection size:
10 µL
System suitability
Sample:
Standard solution A
Suitability requirements
Chromatogram similarity:
The chromatogram from Standard solution A is similar to the reference chromatogram provided with the lot of USP Powdered Red Clover Extract RS being used.
Tailing factor:
NMT 2.0 for the formononetin peak
Relative standard deviation:
NMT 2.0%
Analysis
Samples:
Standard solution A, Standard solution B, and Sample solution
Identify the peaks corresponding to daidzein, genistein, formononetin, and biochanin A in the Sample solution chromatogram by comparison with the chromatogram obtained from Standard solution A and the reference chromatogram. Measure the areas of the analyte peaks.
Separately calculate the percentages of daidzein, genistein, formononetin, and biochanin A in the portion of Powdered Red Clover taken:
Result = (rU/rS) × CS × (V/W) × 1/F × D × 100
| rU | = | = peak response for each relevant isoflavone from the Sample solution |
| rS | = | = formononetin peak response from Standard solution B |
| CS | = | = concentration of USP Formononetin RS in Standard solution B (mg/mL) |
| V | = | = volume of Sample stock solution (mL) |
| W | = | = weight of Powdered Red Clover used to prepare the Sample solution (mg) |
| F | = | = conversion factor for each analyte: daidzein, 0.97; genistein, 1.13; formononetin, 1.00; biochanin A, 1.05 |
| D | = | = dilution factor to prepare the Sample solution from the Sample stock solution, 1 |
Acceptance criteria:
Add the percentages of daidzein, genistein, formononetin, and biochanin A: NLT 0.5% of isoflavones on the dried basis
CONTAMINANTS
• Heavy Metals 
231
:
NMT 10 µg/g
231:
NMT 10 µg/g
• Articles of Botanical Origin, General Method for Pesticide Residues Analysis 561:
Meets the requirements
561:
Meets the requirements
• Microbial Enumeration Tests 2021:
The total aerobic microbial count does not exceed 106 cfu/g, the total combined molds and yeast count does not exceed 104 cfu/g, and the enterobacterial count is NMT 103 cfu/g.
2021:
The total aerobic microbial count does not exceed 106 cfu/g, the total combined molds and yeast count does not exceed 104 cfu/g, and the enterobacterial count is NMT 103 cfu/g.
• Absence of Specified Microorganisms 2022:
It meets the requirements of the tests for absence of Salmonella species and Escherichia coli.
2022:
It meets the requirements of the tests for absence of Salmonella species and Escherichia coli.
SPECIFIC TESTS
• Botanic Characteristics:
Brownish-red to greenish-red; numerous long, sharp-pointed, unicellular, nonglandular hairs with thick, nonlignified walls, the latter somewhat roughened by slight centrifugal projections; smooth, nearly spheroidal pollen grains from 20–48 µm in diameter; fragments of epidermis with stomata, the latter from 13–23 µm in length; fragments containing sclerenchyma fibers with adherent crystal fibers containing monoclinic prisms of calcium oxalate that are up to 21 µm in length
• Loss on Drying 731:
Dry 1 g at 105 for 2 h: it loses NMT 12.0% of its weight.
731:
Dry 1 g at 105 for 2 h: it loses NMT 12.0% of its weight.
• Articles of Botanical Origin, Total Ash 561:
NMT 10.0%
561:
NMT 10.0%
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
• Packaging and Storage:
Preserve in well-closed, light-resistant containers, protected from moisture.
• Labeling:
The label states the Latin binomial and, following the official name, the part of the plant from which the article was derived.
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Auxiliary Information—
Please check for your question in the FAQs before contacting USP.
| Topic/Question | Contact | Expert Committee |
|---|---|---|
| Monograph | Maged H. Sharaf, Ph.D.
Principal Scientific Liaison 1-301-816-8318 |
(DS2010) Monographs - Dietary Supplements |
| 2021 |
Radhakrishna S Tirumalai, Ph.D.
Principal Scientific Liaison 1-301-816-8339 |
(GCM2010) General Chapters - Microbiology |
| 2022 |
Radhakrishna S Tirumalai, Ph.D.
Principal Scientific Liaison 1-301-816-8339 |
(GCM2010) General Chapters - Microbiology |
| Reference Standards | RS Technical Services 1-301-816-8129 rstech@usp.org |
USP35–NF30 Page 1420
Pharmacopeial Forum: Volume No. 28(3) Page 810