Plant extracts mass spectrometric detection

C.W. Huck, M.R. Buchmeiser and G.K. Bonn, Fast analysis of flavonoids in plant extracts by liquid chromatography-ultraviolet absorbance detection on poly(carboxylic acid)coated silica and electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometric detection. J. Chromatogr.A 943 (2002) 33-38. 

GC-MS with or without SIM is the most reliable identification tool of BRs.739 Prior to GC-MS analysis, vicinal hydroxyls in BRs are derivatized to methaneboronates, while isolated hydroxyl groups are converted to trimethylsilyl ethers (Figure 31). Fragment ions derived from the side chains have been used as diagnostic ions for mass spectrometric detection of BRs (Figure 31). Mass spectrometric data on methaneboronate derivatives of BRs have been reviewed.754 For quantitation of the endogenous levels of BRs, deuterated BRs have been frequently used as internal standards by adding to plant extracts.739... 

An example for the separation for flavonoids with HP-RPC is the screening method employed for the systematic identification of glycosylated flavonoids and other phenolic compounds in plant food materials by Lin et al20 These authors used an analytical 4.6 mm x 250 mm 5 pm C18 silica column at 25 °C with linear gradient elution (eluent A (0.1% FA in water and eluent B 0.1% FA in ACN) at 1.0 ml min-1. DAD was performed at 270, 310, 350, and 520 nm to monitor the UV/VIS absorption. The LC system was directly coupled to an ESI mass spectrometer without flow splitting and the mass spectra acquired in the positive and negative ionization mode. The same analytical scheme (aqueous MeOH extraction, reversed-phase liquid chromatographic separation, and diode array and mass spectrometric detection) can be applied to a wide variety of samples and standards and therefore allows the cross-comparison of newly detected compounds in samples with standards and plant materials previously identified in the published literature. 

Wolfender, J.-L. and Hostettmann, K., Liquid chromatographic-UV detection and liquid chromatographic-thermospray mass spectrometric analysis of Chironia (Gentianaceae) species. A rapid method for the screening of polyphenols in crude plant extracts, J. Chromatogr. A, 647, 191, 1993. 

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