31. A Method Development Column Chromatographic Separation of Methanol Extracts from Yellow – Striped Oakworm

Abstract

The overall objective of the project is to separate and characterize the chemical components present in yellow – striped oakworms (Anisota peigleri) in order to determine if the oakworm’s toxic metabolites are sequestered from its diet or synthesized by the oakworm. The first stage of the project entailed the development of a column chromatographic method to achieve chemical separation. The oakworm samples were macerated, sonicated, and extracted with methanol. The extracted samples were loaded onto silica-gel columns, and four unique fractions were eluted using different solvents. The fractions collected were recognized either by their color or with the aid of an UV lamp.