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Planta Med 1997; 63(1): 70-74
DOI: 10.1055/s-2006-957608
Papers
Phytochemical Analysis
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Electrospray High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry in Phytochemical Analysis of Kava (Piper methysticum) Extract

Xian-guo He, Long-ze Lin, Li-zhi Lian
  • Research Laboratory of Natural Products Chemistry, East Earth Herb Inc., 4091 W. 11th Avenue, Eugene, OR 97402, U.S.A.
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Publication History

1996

1996

Publication Date:
04 January 2007 (online)

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Abstract

HPLC coupled with electrospray (ES) MS was used to study a chloroform extract from kava roots (Piper methysticum). A total of thirteen kavalactones and flavokavains were identified. Seven major kavalactones, methysticin (4), dihydromethysticin (5), kavain (6), 7,8-dihydrokavain (7), 5,6-dehydrokavain (8), 5,6-dehydromethysticin (9) and yangonin (10), were easily recognized in the extract by their [M + H]+ or [M + Na]+ ions, UV spectra, and retention times, compared with those of standard compounds. Six minor constituents were isolated as our own reference compounds. These constituents were identified by their [M + H]+ or [M + Na]+ ions, UV spectra and NMR data as 11 -hydroxy-12-methoxydihydrokavain (1), 7,8-dihydro-5-hydroxy-kavain (2), 11,12-dimethoxydihydrokavain (3), and flavokavains A, B and C (19, 20, 21). HPLC-ES-MS appears to be a suitable technique for identification of kavalactones and kavachalcones in the kava extract. The method also provides direct guidance for identification of other trace constituents from kava extracts.

Key words

High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) - electrospray - mass spectrometry - Piper methysticum - Piperaceae - plant drug analysis

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