High-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and multiple mass spectrometry studies of hyperforin degradation products

The alcoholic extract of the aerial parts of Hypericum perforatum L. finds wide application because of its antidepressant activity. The extract contai ns a number of constituents with documented biological activity including c hlorogenic acid, a broad range of flavonoids, naphthodianthrones and phloro glucinols. Hyperforin and adhyperforin are the major phloroglucinol constit uents found in the lipophilic fraction of the extracts. Since the stability of hyperforin has been shown to be limited, an investigation of the hyperf orin degradation products using HPLC-electrospray ionization mass spectrome try and multiple mass spectrometry was undertaken. (C) 2001 Elsevier Scienc e B.V. All rights reserved.