LC-ESI-MS analysis was carried out for taxoid profiling of partially purified methanol extracts of the stem bark of Taxus wallichiana growing in different regions of the Himalayas (Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, UP hills, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh). Cone voltage fragmentation of the protonated, ammonium or sodium cationized molecular species resulted in diagnostic fragment ions. Thus, information about the number and nature of substituents and the taxane skeleton (whether it is normal or rearranged) was readily available from the LC-ESI-MS spectra. The rearranged 11(15-->1)-abeo-taxanes showed a characteristic elimination of the hydroxyisopropyl along with an acetoxy group. The identification of the taxoids was achieved by comparison of the ESI mass spectra with those of the authentic taxoids available to us or by interpreting the ESI mass spectra. The results were also corroborated by MS/MS analysis of the partially purified extract injected directly into the ESI source. Paclitaxel, its analogues and their xylosides are present in samples from all the regions. An interesting observation is the detection of a large number of basic taxoids having nitrogen-containing side chains.
Ammonium cationisation has been used for taxoid profiling of partially purified methanolic extracts of needles of Taxus wallichiana growing in different regions of the Himalayas (Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, UP Hills, Darjeeling, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh) by electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). The MS/MS spectra of the [M + NH4]+ or [M + H]+ ions gave structurally diagnostic fragment ions which revealed information about the taxane skeleton as well as the number and nature of the substituents. The rearranged 11(15-->1)-abeo-taxanes showed a characteristic elimination of the hydroxyisopropyl group with an acetoxy/benzoyloxy group from C-9. The identification of the taxoids was achieved by comparison of the MS/MS spectra with those of authentic taxoids or was based on biogenetic grounds. The results were corroborated by liquid chromatography-MS analysis. Out of the 50 taxoids identified, 21 belonged to the rearranged class. The presence of paclitaxel in the samples from four regions was confirmed: the study also revealed the occurrence of several basic taxoids in these samples. MS/MS profiling by electrospray ionisation was shown to be a fast and reliable technique for the analysis of taxoid samples.
The essential oil yields of the leaves and flowers of V. agnuscastus f. rosea ranged from 0.33 % to 0.52 % (the reproducibility is 0.01 %; n = 3). The composition of essential oils is shown in Table 1. The oils were composed of monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes. The principal constituents of the monoterpenoid fractions were limonene, cineole, sabinene, and aterpineol, while the major sesquiterpenes were J3-caryophyllene, p-gurjunene, cuparene, and globulol. Some of these main components compare well with the results in other reports on the essential oil of V. agnus-castus (6, 7).
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