title: In-time and in-space tandem mass spectrometry to determine the metabolic profiling of flavonoids in a typical sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) cultivar from Southern Italy.
abstract: This paper presents a comprehensive analytical methodology, based on 'in-time' and 'in-space' tandem mass spectrometry (MS) techniques, to identify and quantify flavonoid compounds in a typical Italian sweet cherry cultivar (cv. Ferrovia). Five anthocyanins, four flavan-3-ols and nine flavonols were determined by means of hyphenated high-performance liquid chromatography - multi-stage MS (HPLC-MS(n)) analyses (MS(n) up to MS(4)), among which quercetin-3-O-rutinoside-7-O-glucoside, kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside-7-O-glucoside, quercetin-3-O-galactosyl-rhamnoside and quercetin-3-O-coumaroylglucoside were tentatively identified in sweet cherries for the first time. Ultrafast HPLC and tandem MS (UHPLC-MS/MS) analyses through multiple reaction monitoring experiments showed that cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside and cyanidin-3-O-glucoside were the main anthocyanins of cv. Ferrovia at maturity. Moreover, consistent levels of catechin and epicatechin as well as quercetin-3-O-rutinoside and kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside were also found. Because flavonoids have been ascribed as potential health-promoting compounds, gathered findings provide new insight into the knowledge of the quali-quantitative profile of these phytochemicals into a widespread fruit such as sweet cherry.
authors.affiliation: Unità di ricerca per l'uva da tavola e la vitivinicoltura in ambiente mediterraneo, CRA - Consiglio per la Ricerca e la sperimentazione in Agricoltura, Via Casamassima 148, 70010, Turi, BA, Italy.
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Crupi
authors.forename: Rosalinda
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Genghi
authors.forename: Donato
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Antonacci
keywords: Prunus avium L; flavonoids; metabolic profiling; tandem mass spectrometry