An investigation of bioactive phytochemicals in the leaves of Melicope vitiflora by electrospray ionisation ion trap mass spectrometry

• Published in: Analytica chimica acta Vol. 634; no. 1; pp. 115 - 120
• Main Authors: O’Donnell, F., Ramachandran, V.N., Smyth, T.J.P., Smyth, W.F., Brooks, P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 16-02-2009; Elsevier
• Subjects: Analytical chemistry; Anti-Bacterial Agents - analysis; Bioactive phytochemicals; Chemistry; Chromatographic methods and physical methods associated with chromatography; Chromatography, Thin Layer; Electrospray ionisation ion trap mass spectrometry; Exact sciences and technology; Melicope; Melicope vitiflora; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus - drug effects; Micrococcus luteus; Other chromatographic methods; Plant Extracts - analysis; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plant Leaves - chemistry; Rutaceae - chemistry; Silicon Dioxide - chemistry; Spectrometric and optical methods; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization - methods; Bioactive phytochemicals; Electrospray ionisation ion trap mass spectrometry; Melicope vitiflora; Drug; Natural product; Fragmentation pattern; Plant leaf; Electrospray; Chemical ionization; Fragmentation; Thin layer chromatography; Ion trap; Sample preparation; Database; Column chromatography; Mass spectrometry; Comparative study
• ISSN: 0003-2670; 1873-4324
• DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2008.11.066

The ethyl acetate extract of the leaves of
Melicope vitiflora was separated by column chromatography and the resulting fractions tested for their bioactivity towards methicillin-resistant-
Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and
Micrococcus luteus (ML).
The bioactive column chromatography fractions were further separated by preparative TLC and dereplication was carried out on them by first subjecting them to electrospray ionisation-ion trap mass spectrometry (ESI-MS
n). The resulting molecular masses, their fragmentation patterns in addition to the chemnet database (
www.chemnetbase.com) were used to aid in the structural elucidation of some of the compounds by permitting comparison with known structures of natural origin. Some molecular masses and the corresponding fragmentations were found that did not correlate with any known compounds thus revealing potentially novel natural products that could be investigated on a larger scale and could ultimately find application as new drugs against MRSA and other multi drug resistant microorganisms. Structures are also proposed for known compounds that have not been previously reported for
M. vitiflora.