title: Rapid separation and characterization of active flavonolignans of Silybum marianum by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray tandem mass spectrometry.
abstract: Ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) interfaced with the electrospray ionization (ESI) tandem mass spectrometer (MS(n)) was developed for the simultaneous determination of silychristins A (1) and B (2), silydianin (3), silybins A (4) and B (5), and isosilybins A (6) and B (7), major bioactive flavonolignans in silymarin, a herbal remedy derived from the milk thistle Silybum marianum. In this study, the seven major active flavonolignans including the diastereomers 1/2, 4/5, and 6/7 were completely separated using UPLC with an ACQUITY UPLC C(18) column and a MeOH/water/formic acid mobile phase system. The collision-induced dissociation (CID) MS(n) spectra of these flavonolignans were studied systematically using ESI-MS. The results with the present methodology show that UPLC-MS(n) can be useful for general screening of active natural products from plant extracts and for the specific quality control of silymarin.
authors.affiliation: School of Food Science and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Gongshang University, #149 Jiaogong Road, Hangzhou, PR China. wkw220@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Kuiwu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Lianqing
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Qizhen
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Jianrong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D002853:Chromatography, Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D044947:Flavonolignans / Q000032:analysis*; D020944:Silybum marianum / Q000737:chemistry*; D012838:Silymarin / Q000032:analysis; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D044947:Flavonolignans; D012838:Silymarin