Introduction
Hyptis verticillata Jacq. (Lamiaceae) is a Mexican medicinal plant for the treatment of skin infections and illness affecting the respiratory and gastrointestinal systems.
Objective
To associate the efficient resolution provided by ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography combined to the accuracy of a hybrid Fourier‐transform (FT) mass spectrometer in order to dereplicate podophyllotoxin‐type lignans in a plant extract.
Methods
An ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography‐photodiode array‐high resolution electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC‐PDA‐HRESI‐MS/MS) method was applied in an Orbitrap hybrid FT spectrometer for dereplication of podophyllotoxin and related cytotoxic lignans in wild bushmint. This procedure included high‐resolution mass values for positively charged ions [M + H]+ and [M + NH4]+, MS/MS data, and comparison of UV maxima and retention times with pure compounds.
Results
Podophyllotoxin in addition to seven aryltetralins, four arylnaphthalenes, and one dibenzylbutyrolactone were dereplicated from the methanol extract in a short‐time analysis (5 min). 4′‐O‐Demethyl‐dehydro‐deoxypodophyllotoxin was identified as a new natural product.
Conclusion
The applied UHPLC‐MS/MS dereplication method is suitable for a rapid analysis of podophyllotoxin‐type lignans and the resulting chemical fingerprinting could be valuable in quality control of herbal drugs and their phytopharmaceuticals.