Analysis of synthetic drugs in Chinese medicine by high performance liquidchromatography/mass spectrometry with in-source collision induced dissociation

Sixteen chemical drugs, often found in adulterated Chinese medicine, were s tudied by high performance liquid chromatography/atmospheric ionization mas s spectrometry. Under optimal conditions, three pairs of compounds were eit her coeluted or unresolved. The lack of chromatographic resolution and the lack of specificity in UV detection were overcome by a method based on high performance liquid chromatography/electrospray mass spectrometry. This met hod was capable of detecting the adulterants based on their retention times , molecular ions, and characteristic fragments resulting from in-source col lision induced dissociation.