Electrospray liquid chromatography mass spectrometry of the leaf extract of Rhamnus prinoides

Three naphthalenic derivatives, four flavonoids and two of the four anthraq uinones previously isolated from the leaves of Rhamnus prinoides were succe ssfully ionised under electrospray ionisation conditions. These compounds w ere subsequently detected in the leaf extract of the plant using electrospr ay liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS), The potential of LC -ESI-MS for screening a leaf extract, with the focus on the suitability of the method for assaying the bitter principle, geshoidin, of this commercial ly important plant, is presented, Copyright (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd .