Fingerprint Analysis of Ginkgo biloba Extractand Ginkgo semen in Preparations by LC-Q-TOF/MS

JIUN-LUNG LUO*, FEN-LING LU, YI-CHU LIU, YANG-CHIH SHIH AND CHI-FANG LO

Food and Drug Administration, Department of Health, Executive Yuan,Taipei 11561, Taiwan, R.O.C.

(Received: May 15, 2012; Accepted: October 24, 2012)

ABSTRACT

An ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with tandem quadrupole/flight mass spectrometry (LC-Q-TOF/MS) method was developed for the chromatographic fingerprint analyses of Ginkgo biloba extract and Ginkgo semen.  All samples were extracted with 70% methanol and part of each extract was hydrolyzed by acids. The chromatographic analyses of these materials were performed on a C18 analytical column (3.0 × 150 mm, 2.7 μm) with gradient elution using methanol and water with 0.01% formic acid at a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min.  Mass spectrometry was performed in the negative-ion mode ESI to determine the compounds in G. biloba extract and G. semen by comparison with the accurate molecular weight of the reference compounds and literature reported.  In addition, Ginkgolide J and Bilobalide were identified from G. semen by this method for the first time.  The method was  successfully used to analyze compounds in G. biloba extract and G. semen with significantly reduced analytical time, and also applied in the analysis of more complex components in G. biloba products.

Key words: LC-Q-TOF/MS, fingerprint, Ginkgo biloba extract, Ginkgo semen, Ginkgolide J, Bilobalide