The combination of hyphenated techniques, LC–SPE–NMR and LC–MS, to isolate and identify minor isomeric
compounds from an ethyl acetate fraction of Taraxacum officinale root was employed in this study.
Two distinct fractions of 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid derivatives of inositol were isolated and characterised
by spectroscopic methods. The 1H NMR spectra and MS data revealed two groups of compounds, one
of which were derivatives of the di-4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid derivative of the inositol compound tetrahydroxy-
5-[2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)acetyl] oxycyclohexyl-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl) acetate, while the other
group consisted of similar tri-substituted inositol derivatives. For both fractions the derivatives of inositols
vary in the number of 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid groups present and their position and geometry
on the inositol ring. In total, three di-substituted and three tri-substituted 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid
inositol derivates were identified for the first time along with a further two previously reported di-substituted
inositol derivatives.