Rapid communications in mass spectrometry : RCM | 2021
Rapid fingerprint analysis for herbal polysaccharides using direct analysis in real time ionization mass spectrometry.
Abstract
RATIONALE\nHerbal polysaccharides have various potential medicinal values. Development of reliable analytical method for the fingerprint analysis of polysaccharides is critical for their quality assessment, origin identification as well as authenticity evaluation.\n\n\nMETHODS\nMechanochemical extraction (MCE) was used to extract polysaccharide components from different herbal species. Intact polysaccharides were then directly analyzed by direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry (DART-MS). Standard addition method with isotope labelled internal standard was used to quantity polysaccharide amounts directly from liquid extract. Multivariate data analysis was further conducted for species classification.\n\n\nRESULTS\nThe intact and large polysaccharides were decomposed into small fragment ions less than m/z 350 instantaneously using DART ion source. Different polysaccharides showed distinguished fingerprint DART-MS spectra using both individual and mixed herbal species. The liquid supernatant from MCE was validated to be used as direct sample for DART-MS analysis. Quantitation was successfully achieved for polysaccharide contents in Dendrobium officinale from different locations.\n\n\nCONCLUSIONS\nA rapid fingerprint protocol in combination of MCE and DART-MS for herbal polysaccharides was developed. The whole process could be accomplished within a few of minutes, from raw materials to final spectra, without requirements of pre-digestion and additional sample purification.