Characterization of aconitine-type alkaloids in the flowers of Aconitum kusnezoffii by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

✍ Scribed by Yong Wang; Fengrui Song; Qingxuan Xu; Zhiqiang Liu; Shuying Liu

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2003
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 248 KB
• Volume: 38
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1076-5174
• DOI: 10.1002/jms.510

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

The fragmentation mechanism of aconitine‐type alkaloids in the flowers of Aconitum kusnezoffii (FAK) was investigated using electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI‐MS^n^) firstly. The analysis of the collision‐induced dissociation (CID) spectra of three purified aconitine standards and six previously reported aconitines indicated that the fragmentation of the protonated aconitines at low‐energy CID follows a similar pathway. The elimination of a C~8~‐substituent such as an acetic acid or a fatty acid is the dominant fragmentation mode in MS2. Successive losses of CH~3~COOH, CH~3~OH, H~2~O, BzOH, and CO are the main fragmentation pathways of aconitine‐type alkaloids in MS^3^ spectra. Based on these features, a rapid method for the direct detection and characterization of alkaloids from an ethanolic extract of FAK is described. All the known aconitum alkaloids are detected and a series of lipo‐aconitines has been found for the first time in this plant. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.