title: Rapid analysis of steroidal saponin mixture using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry combined with sequential tandem mass spectrometry.
abstract: Using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (MS) combined with sequential tandem MS(ESI-MSn), two major steroidal saponins extracted from Tribulus terrestris were studied, and considerable useful structural information was obtained. The structure of the proposed known steroidal saponin was verified, and the structure of the unknown saponin was investigated using MSn experiments. Some special fragment ions were also observed, and the corresponding fragmentation mechanisms were investigated which are characteristic for steroidal saponins and can give some information on the linkage position of some sugar groups in saponins. This methodology has been established as a powerful tool for the rapid, comparative analysis of mixtures such as crude plant extracts.
authors.affiliation: Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.R. China.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D002240:Carbohydrate Sequence; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry; D012503:Saponins / Q000032:analysis*; D013256:Steroids / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D012503:Saponins; D013256:Steroids