Mass spectrometry of bisquinolizidine alkaloids: 2- and 17-cyano-substituted derivatives of sparteine and lupanine.

The mass spectral fragmentations of 2-cyano-2-methylsparteine (1), 2-cyano-2-phenylsparteine (2), 2-cyano-2-(p-tolyl)sparteine (3), 17-cyanosparteine (4) and 17-cyanolupanine (5) were investigated. Fragmentation pathways, whose identification was assisted by accurate mass measurements and a correlation between the abundances of the M(+*) and the selected fragment ions of the investigated compounds, are discussed. The data obtained create the basis for distinguishing the structural metamers. Copyright 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.