High-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray mass spectrometry and tandem mass spectrometry of anthocyanins from plant tissues and cell cultures ofDaucus carota L.

Abstract

Anthocyanins of Daucus carota L. were investigated by pneumatically assisted electrospray (ES) mass spectrometry. In positive mode, the spectra of anthocyanins showed the natural molecular cations M+ together with ions corresponding to the aglycones. The anthocyanin compositions of extracts from suspension cultures, callus and roots of an Afghan carrot cultivar and from the central flowers of the European wild carrot were compared by using on-line high-performance liquid chromatography/ES mass spectrometry and tandem mass spectrometry. Collision-induced dissociation (CID) of M+ with argon produced the aglycone ion as the only fragment. Daughter scans revealed that all anthocyanins found in carrot contain cyanidin as aglycone. Scanning the parent ions of the cyanidin ion (m/z 287) allowed a selective and sensitive detection of up to 14 different cyanidin derivatives directly from the extracts. The presence of seven anthocyanins with M+ at m/z 949, 919, 905, 889, 863, 743 and 581 in all extracts investigated indicated a good accordance of the anthocyanin composition in tissue cultures and in intact plants.