Patent ID: 8062898

Claim:
A method for mapping the polarity range of a solvent system family having two or more biphasic or triphasic solvent systems for use in separation of one or more chemical components of a mixture by counter-current chromatography which comprises the steps of: (a) providing a reference mixture of reference natural products wherein the reference mixture comprises at least three structurally distinct chemical species of different polarity and different molecular mass wherein the mixture comprises at least one hydrophilic component and at least one lipophilic component; (b) selecting a plurality of biphasic or triphasic solvent systems of the solvent system family wherein the plurality of biphasic of triphasic solvent systems spans the range of relative proportions of the solvent components of the solvent system family; and (c) determining the distribution constant (K D ) for each reference natural product in each selected biphasic or triphasic solvent system of the solvent system family, thereby mapping the polarity range of the solvent system family.