Recent studies have shown that rutin (Quercetin-3-O-rhamnosylglucoside) may have an inhibitory effect on COVID-19. Rutin can be extracted from Tartary buckwheat as an active pharmaceutical ingredient. Nevertheless, its purification is mainly hindered by Kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside (K3R) due to their similar molecular structures. This study intends to propose a simulated moving bed (SMB) chromatography process of rutin and K3R to achieve continuous production. True moving bed (TMB) and SMB models were established to numerically analyze and optimize this process. The system consists of a four-zone SMB with two columns in each zone. The effects of the switch interval, feed flowrate, desorbent flowrate, extract flowrate, raffinate flowrate, and recycle flowrate on the purity and yield of rutin and K3R were investigated and the optimized conditions were chosen as 5 min, 3.5, 40, 34, 9.5, and 24.5 L/min, respectively. Consequently, the purities of 99.64% and 99.25%, and the yields of 99.81% and 99.37% for rutin and K3R were obtained, respectively. The simulation results can provide a guidance for the future industrial application of SF-SMB to separate rutin and K3R.

中文翻译：

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超临界流体模拟移动床色谱法纯化芦丁

最近的研究表明，芦丁（Quercetin-3-O-rhamnosylglucoside）可能对 COVID-19 有抑制作用。芦丁可作为活性药物成分从苦荞中提取。然而，由于山柰酚-3-O-芸香苷（K3R）的分子结构相似，其纯化主要受到阻碍。本研究拟提出一种芦丁和K3R的模拟移动床（SMB）层析工艺，实现连续生产。建立真正的移动床 (TMB) 和 SMB 模型，对这一过程进行数值分析和优化。该系统由一个四区域 SMB 组成，每个区域有两列。切换间隔、进料流量、解吸剂流量、萃取液流量、萃余液流量、考察了芦丁和K3R的纯度和回收流量以及循环流量，优化条件分别为5 min、3.5、40、34、9.5和24.5 L/min。因此，芦丁和 K3R 的纯度分别为 99.64% 和 99.25%，产率分别为 99.81% 和 99.37%。仿真结果可为未来SF-SMB分离芦丁和K3R的工业应用提供指导。