title: Rapid structural characterization of triterpenoid saponins in crude extract from Symplocos chinensis using liquid chromatography combined with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry.
abstract: Triterpenoid saponins in bioactive crude extract from Symplocos chinensis were rapidly identified using electrospray ionization multi-stage tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MSn) and liquid chromatography coupled with sequential mass spectrometry (LC-MSn). According to the characteristic fragmentation behavior of known glucuronide-type triterpenoid saponins isolated from this plant, a total of fourteen constituents in the crude extract were structurally characterized on the basis of their retention time and tandem mass spectrometric analysis, including five pairs of naturally occurring isomers. Except one known saponin formerly obtained, the other constituents were new compounds. The analytical method of LC-MSn combined with ESI-MSn in positive and negative ion modes has been developed for the direct structural elucidation of triterpenoid saponins of this kind in plant extracts.
authors.affiliation: The Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Resources Utilization of Chinese Herbal Medicine, Ministry of Education, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China. zeper@imm.ac.cn
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zeper
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Abliz
authors.forename: Meijun
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Guangmiao
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Shishan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D002853:Chromatography, Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D019684:Magnoliopsida / Q000737:chemistry*; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry*; D012503:Saponins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / Q000379:methods*; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D012503:Saponins; D014315:Triterpenes