Identification and quantification of flavonoids and chromes in Baeckea frutescens by using HPLC coupled with diode-array detection and quadruple time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Abstract

This article marks the first report on high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with diode-array detection (DAD) and quadruple time-of-flight mass spectrometry (Q-TOF/MS) for the identification and quantification of main bioactive constituents in Baeckea frutescens. In total, 24 compounds were identified or tentatively characterised based on their retention behaviours, UV profiles and MS fragment information. Furthermore, a validated method with good linearity, sensitivity, precision, stability, repeatability and accuracy was successfully applied for simultaneous determination of five flavonoids and one chromone in different plant parts of B. frutescens collected at different harvest times, and their dynamic contents revealed the appropriate harvest times. The established HPLC-DAD-Q-TOF/MS using multi-bioactive markers was proved to be a validated strategy for the quality evaluation on both raw materials and related products of B. frutescens.

Keywords::

• Baeckea frutescens
• identification
• quantification
• flavonoids
• chromones
• HPLC-DAD-Q-TOF/MS

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [grant number 81303162], the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation [grant number 2014M552017] and the Henan Postdoctoral Research Funding [grant number 2013010]. We appreciate the kind help of Mr. Mao-Xiang Lai (Guangxi Academy of Chinese Medicines and Pharmaceutical Science) for collecting plant samples.