Studies on the stability of diester-diterpenoid alkaloids from the genus Aconitum L. by high performance liquid chromatography combined with electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/ESI/MSn)

The stability of diester-diterpenoid alkaloids (DDA) from plants of the genus Aconitum L. has been studied in different solvents and pH buffers. The HPLC/ESIMS method for analysing the concentration of DDA was established and DDA's decomposition products were elucidated by HPLC/ESI-MS/MSn. In different solvents, e.g. dichloromethane, ether, methanol and distilled water, the decomposition pathways of DDA are quite different and their difference in stabilities depends on the difference of their structures, in which substituents at the N atom and substituents at C-3 are different. The pyrolytic products of DDA, such as deacetoxy aconitine-type alkaloids, have been observed in the above solvents, whereas 8-methoxy-14-benzoyl aconitine-type alkaloids have been obtained only in methanol.

Studies on the aconitine-type alkaloids in the roots of Aconitum Carmichaeli Debx. by HPLC/ESIMS/MSn

Studies of aconitine-type alkaloids in the Chinese herb Aconitum Carmichaeli were performed by HPLC/ESIMS/MSn and FTICR/ESIMS in positive ion mode. The characteristic fragmentation pathways in the MSn spectra were summarized based on previously published research literature and further study. According to the fragmentation pathways of mass spectrometry, results from the analysis of standard compounds and reports from literature, 111 compounds were identified or deduced in a total of 117 found compounds in A. Carmichaeli. In the 11 monoester-diterpenoid alkaloids (MDA), 10 diesterditerpenoid alkaloids (DDA) and 81 lipo-alkaloids, the novel alkaloids including 1 MDA, 2 DDA and 48 lipo-alkaloids were detected.

Analysis of norditerpenoid alkaloids extracted from Aconitum sinomantanum Nakai by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) was applied simultaneously in determining norditerpenoid alkaloids from the roots of Aconitum sinomantanum Nakai ( RAS) based on molecular mass information. The tandem mass spectra (ESI-MSn) provided the alkaloidal structural information, through which the existence of these alkaloids was further confirmed. Accordingly, six known norditerpenoid alkaloids were simultaneously determined on the basis of their ESI-MSn spectra. Furthermore, based on the diagnostic fragmentation pathways of alkaloidal MSn, a rapid method for direct detection and characterization of alkaloids from an ethanolic extract of RAS was described.

Characterization of aconitine-type alkaloids in the flowers of Aconitum kusnezoffii by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

The fragmentation mechanism of aconitine-type alkaloids in the flowers of Aconitum kusnezoffii (FAK) was investigated using electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MSn) firstly. The analysis of the collision-induced dissociation (CID) spectra of three purified aconitine standards and six previously reported aconitines indicated that the fragmentation of the protonated aconitines at low-energy CID follows a similar pathway. The elimination of a C-8-substituent such as an acetic acid or a fatty acid is the dominant fragmentation mode in MS2. Successive losses of CH3COOH, CH3OH, H2O, BzOH, and CO are the main fragmentation pathways of aconitine-type alkaloids in MS3 spectra. Based on these features, a rapid method for the direct detection and characterization of alkaloids from an ethanolic extract of FAK is described. All the known aconitum alkaloids are detected and a series of lipo-aconitines has been found for the first time in this plant.

Structure identification of five unknown dilipo-alkaloids extracted from processed tuber of Aconitum carmiechaeli by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

The alkaloids in processed aconite tuber of Aconitum Carmiechaeli were studied, and five novel alkaloids in extract from processed aconite tuber were found. The first step involved the use of electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), and then multi-stage tandem mass spectrometry (MSn) was used to provide structural information. Based on their MSn spectra, the structures of the five novel compounds were elucidated to be C3,C8-difatty acid esters of mesaconitine, aconitine and 10-hydroxyaconitine.

A study of Aconitum alkaloids from aconite roots in Aconitum carmichaeli Debx using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry

In the present paper a study of C-19-diterpene type of aconitum alkaloids, extracted from aconite roots in Aconitum carmichaeli Debx has been made using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of Eight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS), The results demonstrated that the aconitum alkaloids from aconite roots can be determined simultaneously by this method, which was found to be superior to other analytical methods with regard to speed and sensitivity. Fourteen known aconitum alkaloids, including aconitines, benzoylaconitines and lipoaconitines, were assigned in the methanol extract and three compounds not reported before have been targeted separation. The evaluation of the efficiency of different extractions has been studied. These results suggested that the differences of the polarity and basicity of aconitine, and benzoylaconitines and lipoaconitines result from the C-8 constituent groups that are easily lost under MALDI, (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

横断山区紫乌头复合体的物种形成初探

物种形成是生物进化的重要步骤，是进化生物学中的基本问题。研究一些关键地区植物的物种形成，将提高对这些地区植物区系发生与发展的认识，横断山区就是这样一个非常独特与关键的地区。本文通过对主要分布于横断山区的紫乌头A.delavayi复合体进行nrDNA ITS序列、等位酶与RAPD分析，初步探讨了横断山区紫乌头A.delavayi复合体的起源与物种形成。同时对使用RAPD与等位酶数据研究群体遗传结构的方法进行了探讨。主要研究结果如下： 1. ITS序列研究 对乌头属27个类群的ITS序列进行了简约法与邻接法的研究，两种方法得到的系统发育树基本一致。乌头亚属的蔓乌头系 Ser. Volublia不是一个单系起源的类群，显拄乌头系 Ser. Sstylosa 与兴安乌头系Ser. Ambigua各自作为单系起源也没有得到支持。特产于云南西北部横断山区的一些种之间存在非常近的系统发育关系，说明这些种是近期物种形成的产物。紫乌头A.delavayi复合体的不同类群在系统发育树上被分到不同的分支中，含西南乌头A. episcopale的分支最为独特，处于系统发育树靠近基部的位置;松潘乌头 A.sunpanense与四川西北部的弯喙乌头A.campylorrhynchum组成一个分支，另一个分支含土官村乌头A.tuguancunense、紫乌头A.delavayi、玉龙乌头A.stapfianum与黄草乌A.vilmorinianum; 表明紫乌头A.delavayi复合体有3个独立的起源，因而该复合体在遗传上是不成立的。但是为了讨论与叙述的方便，本研究仍使用紫乌头A.delavayi复合体这个名字。 2. 等位酶研究 用10种酶系统14个位点，对紫乌头A.delavayi分布于云南横断山区的4种8个居群进行了等位酶分析。结果表明横断山区紫乌头A.delavayi复合体居群的遗传多样性明显低于北美和欧洲的乌头属植物。呈垂直替代关系的紫乌头A.delavayi与玉龙乌头A.stapfianum居群之间出现有规律的遗传多样性变化，表明冰川对横断山区植物的遗传多样性有重大影响。聚类分析的结果与ITS分析的结果基本一致，西南乌头A. episcopale仍然是较为独特的一类;其余3个种的居群聚为一类，紫乌头A.delavayi与玉龙乌头A.stapfianum之间的遗传一致度非常高，超过0.95。8个居群的主成分分析没有证实西南乌头A. episcopale中存在杂交渗入。Mantel 检验的结果显示8个居群之间的遗传趋异程度与地理距离之间显著相关。基因分化系数GST与近交系数FIS均显示这些居群不是以异交为主。居群间每代迁移个体数Nm显示这些居群间基因流较弱。 3. RAPD研究 用20个随机引物得到117个RAPD位点，对23个居群进行研究。其中19个属于紫乌头A.delavayi复合体，4个属于与之近缘的瓜叶乌头A.hemsleyanum。根据RAPD表型频率与单倍型频率，分别对23个居群进行了聚类分析。结果显示这两种方法所得结果高度一致，而且也与ITS和等位酶的分析结果基本一致。西南乌头A. episco pale仍然是最为独特一个分支，在本文中称为分支1。其余的居群聚成两个关系较近的大分支，一个分支包含所有分布于云南与四川西南部横断山区的居群，称为分支2，另一个包括所有分布于四川西北部与北部横断山区、重庆东北部、湖北西部与陕西的居群。大部分种处于同一分支中，只有弯喙乌头A.campylorrhynchum与瓜叶乌头A.hemsleyanum的居群分别被聚在分支2与分支3中，完全符合居群的地理位置。从3个分支内的聚类关系可以看出居群间遗传趋异等级与地理隔离程度明显相关。在遗传多样性水平上，分支1明显比分支2和分支3低许多，分支2又高于分支3。 在分支2内部，紫乌头A.delavayi与玉龙乌头A.stapfianum之间的遗传多样性变化与等位酶结果相同。在分支3的松潘乌头 A.sunpanense 5个居群中，横断山区海拔最高的2个居群遗传多样性最低。将23个居群划分成不同等级进行AMOVA分析，结果表明总遗传多样性主要分布于地区间，其次是居群间，居群内遗传多样性所占比例很低。 4．群体遗传结构研究中的数据处理方法 本研究结果表明，在使用RAPD表型数据进行AMOVA分析时，最好采用欧氏距离平方系数。本研究还说明，计算GST的两种不同方法将导致结果不同，而要与Hamrick and Godt（1990）的总结进行对比的话，最好使用他们采用的计算方法。 基于以上研究结果，可得出如下结论：⑴ 紫乌头A.delavayi复合体有3个不同的起源。西南乌头A. episcopale是一个古特有种，其余均为近期物种形成的产物。⑵地理隔离在横断山区紫乌头A.delavayi复合体的物种形成过程中影响最大。而地理隔离主要起因于连续分布区的片段化与瓶颈效应，而这两个原因又与横断山区的地质历史与冰川进退密切相关。