Profiling and characterization by LC-MSn of the chlorogenic acids and hydroxycinnamoylshikimate esters in maté (Ilex paraguariensis).

The chlorogenic acids of mate (Ilex paraguariensis) have been investigated qualitatively by LC-MS(n). Forty-two chlorogenic acids were detected and all characterized to regioisomeric level on the basis of their fragmentation pattern in tandem MS spectra, 24 of them for the first time from this source. Both chlorogenic acids based on trans- and cis-cinnamic acid substituents were identified. Assignment to the level of individual regioisomers was possible for eight caffeoylquinic acids (1-8), five dicaffeoylquinic acids (20-24), six feruloylquinic acids (9-14), two diferuloyl quinic acids (25 and 26), five p-coumaroylquinic acids (15-19), four caffeoyl-p-coumaroylquinic acids (34-37), seven caffeoyl-feruloylquinic acids (27-33), three caffeoyl-sinapoylquinic acids (38-40), one tricaffeoylquinic acid (41), and one dicaffeoyl-feruloylquinic acid (42). Furthermore, four caffeoylshikimates (43-46), three dicaffeoylshikimates (47-49), one tricaffeoylshikimate (51), and one feruloylshikimate (50) have been detected and shown to possess characteristic tandem MS spectra and were assigned by comparison to reference standards.