PYROLYSIS-GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY ION-TRAP MASS-SPECTROMETRY OF THE TOOTH BRUSH TREE (SALVADORA-PERSICA L)

Chemical characterization of 'tooth brush' tree (Salvadora persica L.) sticks was carried out using a pyrolysis/gas chromatograph coupled to an ion-trap detector mass spectrometer. Electron impact and chemical ionization mass spectra, along with chromatographic profiles obtained by both flame ionization and nitrogen/phosphorous detectors,enabled th e structure of some eighty pyrolysis fragments to be proposed. These w ere mainly lignin and polysaccharide derivatives of phenolic and furan ic natures, respectively. However, compared with the pyrograms of othe r well-studied lignocellulosic materials, S. persica showed several un ique nitrogen-containing compounds, some of which were tentatively ide ntified as pyrrolidine, pyrrole and piperidine derivatives on the basi s of their mass spectra and chromatographic elution order.