Mass spectrometry studies of lycodine-type Lycopodium alkaloids: sauroxine and N-demethylsauroxine.
BACKGROUND
Sauroxine and N-demethylsauroxine are lycodine-type Lycopodium alkaloids. In recent years, Lycopodium alkaloids have gained significant interest due to their unique skeletal characteristics as well as due to their acetylcholinesterase activity. It is known that drugs that inhibit acetylcholinesterase can be used to treat the early stages of Alzheimer's disease.


METHODS
Sauroxine and N-demethylsauroxine were isolated from the aerial parts of Huperzia saururus (Lam.) Trevis. Electron ionization mass spectrometry (EI-MS) (low resolution) and collision-induced dissociation tandem mass spectrometry (CID-MS/MS) fragmentation was conducted using an ion trap, GCQ Plus mass spectrometer with MS/MS. Electron ionization high-resolution mass spectrometry (EI-HRMS) was performed in a magnetic sector mass spectrometer (Micromass VG).


RESULTS
Using GC/EI-CID-MS/MS we obtained different fragmentation routes that connect all the ionic populations. In addition, the use of EI-HRMS allowed us to measure the exact masses of all the fragment ions, and, with all this information gathered, we tried to establish a fragmentation scheme concordant with the ascendant and descendant species.


CONCLUSIONS
The mass spectrometry studies presented in this work complete our mass studies of Lycopodium alkaloids. The mass spectrometry work presented has been very useful to confirm the structures as well as to support the biogenetic relationships between the lycodine-type Lycopodium alkaloids: sauroxine and N-demethylsauroxine.
INTEQUI-CONICET, Área de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional de San Luis, Chacabuco y Pedernera, 5700, San Luis, Argentina.
Diego A
DA
Cifuente
Mariana G
MG
Vallejo
Maria G
MG
Ortega
José L
JL
Cabrera
Víctor S
VS
Martín
Carlos E
CE
Tonn
Alicia M
AM
Agnese
Carlos E
CE
Ardanaz
D000470:Alkaloids / Q000737:chemistry*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D006576:Heterocyclic Compounds, 4 or More Rings / Q000737:chemistry*; D007477:Ions / Q000737:chemistry; D032502:Lycopodium / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / Q000379:methods*; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods
D000470:Alkaloids; D006576:Heterocyclic Compounds, 4 or More Rings; D007477:Ions; D010936:Plant Extracts; C585001:lycodine