Abstract:

In order to explore the applications of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) technology in the rapid identification of components of Chinese herbal medicines and natural products, reference flavones were used as precursors, and the stems and leaves of medicinal plant Ranunculus ternatus Thunb. were used as the objects. Ultra performance liquid chromatography with a diode array detector-electrospray ionization quadrupole tandem time of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/DAD-ESI/Q-TOF MS) was also used to analyse the characteristics of flavonoid homologues and flavonoid isomers. The results showed that ultraviolet (UV) absorption and MS/MS spectra of C-glycosyl were distinct from O-glycosyl. There was also a correlation between glycosidation positions and the retention times, MS/MS fragments and their relative abundances. When applied it to analyse the alcohol extract of stems and leaves of Ranunculus ternatus Thunb. and their acid hydrolysis solution, 22 flavonol glycosides and 3 flavonoid aglycones were identified. The method is simple, convenient and exercisable.

Key words: Ranunculus ternatus Thunb, flavonoids, ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole tandem time of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q/TOF MS)