Characterization of Pyrrozilidine alkaloids in botanicals and dietary supplements by LC/QTOF MS

B Avula; S Sagi; YH Wang; J Zweigenbaum; M Wang; IA Khan

doi:10.1055/s-0035-1545105

Planta Medica, Inhaltsverzeichnis

Characterization of Pyrrozilidine alkaloids in botanicals and dietary supplements by LC/QTOF MS

B Avula ¹, S Sagi ¹, YH Wang ¹, J Zweigenbaum ², M Wang ¹, IA Khan ¹^,³

¹National Center for Natural Products Research, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA
²Agilent Technologies, Wilmington, DE 19808, USA
³Division of Pharmacognosy, Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmacy, The University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA

Abstract

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids are known to be hepatotoxic and hepatocarcenogenic compounds that are found in common weeds that grow throughout Europe. Contamination of plants, such as Senecio jacobaea (ragwort), that contain these secondary metabolites is common in botanicals used as dietary supplements and may pose a health risk. In this work we show the LC/MS/MS determination of 25 pyrrolizidine alkaloids in both plants and dietary supplements. The accurate mass MS/MS of these compounds is presented and described. This characterization can be the basis of routine monitoring methods and determination of other toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids in botanicals and dietary supplements.