European Journal of Mass Spectrometry, vol.14, no.2, pp.111-115, 2008 (SCI-Expanded)
Three new N1,N5,N14-tris(4- hydroxycinnamoyl)spermines were identified in hydromethanolic root extracts of Microdesmis keayana J. Léonard and Microdesmis puberula Hook f. The electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) technique with specific nuclear magnetic resonance analysis of hydrolysed products made it possible to identify N1,N5,N14-tris(p- coumaroyllspermine. N1-feruloyl,N5,N14-di(p- coumaroyl)spermine and N1,N5,N14-tris(feruloyl) spermine, named keayanines B, C and D, respectively. ESI-MS/MS analysis most effectively provided structural data although high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry was also used to characterise four other compounds from Microdesmis puberula-keayanidines A, B, C and keayanine A - which had already been identified in M. keayana. This chemical data is the first to be published for M. puberula which is a commonly used plant in Central African traditional medicine. © IM Publications LLP 2008. All rights reserved.