Rapid Identification of Anthocyanin from the Epicarp of Kadsura Coccinea (Lem.) A.C. Smith by UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry

Kadsura coccinea (Lem.) A.C. Smith has been used as a fruit as well as folk medicine, possessing several effective constituents, including anthocyanins, lignans, and triterpenoids. To the best of our best knowledge, only a few qualitative analyses of anthocyanin from the epicarp of K. coccinea have been reported so far; therefore, it is quite necessary to investigate the kinds of anthocyanins in the epicarp of K. coccinea . In this experiment, plant epicarps were extracted in 0.1% HCl (v/v) in methanol with the help of ultrasonic machine. A rapid, sensitive, and effective method for the identification of constituents was established using UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap mass spectrometry combined with parallel reaction monitoring (PRM). As a result, a total of 57 anthocyanin derivatives were tentatively characterized from K. coccinea by comparing with standards or studies of retention time, MS data, and MS 2 fragments from the literature, fifty-five of these derivatives were reported for the first time. This result developed the constituents database, which will establish a keynote for quality control and pharmacological activity of research in pharmaceutical fields. Moreover, the utilization of the epicarp is beneficial for the environment, reducing the waste of resources.