title: Identification of lignans by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization ion-trap mass spectrometry.
abstract: The fragmentation pattern of 30 compounds belonging to different classes of the lignan family was studied by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization ion-trap mass spectrometry. On the basis of the observed fragmentation patterns, identification of different types of lignans was achieved. For example, dibenzylbutyrolactone lignans showed a characteristic fragmentation pathway by the loss of 44 Da (CO(2)) from the lactone moiety, whereas dibenzylbutanediols showed a loss of 48 Da by a combined loss of formaldehyde and water from the 1,4-butanediol moiety. Lignan glycosides readily lost the sugar residue to give the parent lignan as their primary product ion. In addition, several compound-specific fragmentations were observed and used for identification of individual compounds.A versatile method for analyses of lignans was developed using LC separation on a C8 column followed by fragmentation and detection of ions produced in the ion trap.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Process Chemistry Centre, Abo Akademi University, Biskopsgatan 8, FIN-20500 Abo, Finland. paeklund@abo.fi
authors.forename: Patrik C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Eklund
authors.forename: M Josefin
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Backman
authors.forename: Leif A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Kronberg
authors.forename: Annika I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Smeds
authors.forename: Rainer E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Sjöholm