Direct Analysis and Identification of Triterpene Glycosides by LC/MS in Black Cohosh,Cimicifuga racemosa, and in Several Commercially Available Black Cohosh Products

Abstract

A method to directly identify triterpene glycosides using reversed-phase liquid chromatography with positive atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry (LC/(+)APCIMS) was developed. Based on the analysis of the molecular weight, fragment ions, selected ion chromatograms, a number of triterpene glycosides, including actein, 27-deoxyactein, cimicfugoside M, and cimicifugoside, from Cimicifuga racemosa were studied. A chromone, cimifugin, from C. foetida was also identified. Cimicifugoside M and cimifugin can specifically serve as indicators for species identification. The method can, therefore, be used to distinguish black cohosh products from among different plant species for quality control purposes.

Cimicifuga species identification by high performance liquid chromatography–photodiode array/mass spectrometric/evaporative light scattering detection for quality control of black cohosh products

“…The phenolic constituents were cimicifugic acids A (10) and B (11), cimifugin (12), cimiracemates A (13) and B (14), caffeic acid (15), ferulic acid (16), and isoferulic acid (17). Compounds 1-7 and 10-12 were isolated from the Cimicifuga species by procedures described in the literature [3,24], and were identified by NMR spectroscopy. …”

“…Typically, peaks for more than 30 triterpenes are apparent in HPLC chromatograms, making it impossible to completely resolve these components and identify them unambiguously. Previously, we have developed an LC-PDA/MS method that allows differentiating between C. racemosa and C. foetida and C. simplex [24]. In the present report, this method is refined by adding an evaporative light scattering (ELSD) as a detection method and by extending the coverage to a total of ten Cimicifuga species.…”

“…Numerous efforts have been made to establish effective methods for the identifications of chemical constituents in black cohosh, including HPLC-UV/MS [24][25][26][27][28], HPLC-UV/ELSD [15][16]24,[29][30][31][32], HPTLC [33], GC-MS [17] and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analyses [34]. While most of the published chemical methods already focus on the identification of triterpene glycosides, it still remains difficult to reliably distinguish Cimicifuga species due to the large number of triterpene glycosides contained in a single species.…”

Estrogenic and Antiestrogenic Activities of Commercial Dietary Supplements Containing Herbal Ingredients and Isoflavones

“…Some studies found that chemicals in black cohosh extract do not bind to ERs in ligand binding assays with recombinant estrogen receptors [26]. However, we think that the estrogenic and antiestrogenic activities exhibited by S3 in the transgenic yeast system are induced by triterpene glycosides, especially cimicifugoside phytoestrogens specific to black cohosh [27,28]. It was suggested, based on…”

The value of plant collections in ethnopharmacology: a case study of an 85-year-old black cohosh (Actaea racemosa L.) sample

“…The sample volume injected was 10 l and data were analyzed at 203 nm for triterpene glycosides, and 320 nm for phenolic compounds. According a published method (He et al, 2000), the mobile phase for the analysis of triterpene glycosides consisted of a step gradient starting with 5% (v/v) acetonitrile (solvent A) in water (B) and increasing to 75% acetonitrile over 55 min. The gradient profile was: 0-18 min: 5-28% A; 18-36 min: 28-35% A; 36-45 min: 35-55% A; 45-55 min: 55-75% A.…”