Determination of naphthodianthrones in plant extracts from Hypericum perforatum L. by liquid chromatography-electrospray mass spectrometry.

The determination of the naphthodianthrone constituents in extracts of dried blossoms of Hypericum perforatum L. by combined HPLC-electrospray mass spectrometry is described. Hypericin (1), pseudohypericin (2) and their precursor compounds produce intensive negative quasi-molecular ions by deprotonation provided a non-acidic eluent system is used in the HPLC separation. From the [M-H]- ions formed in the electrospray ionization process characteristic daughter ion spectra can be obtained by collisional activation which have been studied by tandem mass spectrometry.