m‐Synephrine: Normal Occurrence in Adrenal Gland

Abstract

Abstract: Gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry‐selected ion monitoring has been used to identify m‐synephrine (phenylephrine) in bovine adrenal gland. After ion exchange chromatography, m‐synephrine was converted to its N‐trifluoroacetyl‐O‐trifluoroacetoxy derivative and identified by retention time and relative intensities of the two characteristic ions at m/e 140 and m/e 455. Deuterated m‐synephrine was synthesized and used as an internal standard for quantitative analysis. Bovine adrenal gland contains 83 ng g‐ 1 (range, 33‐131) of endogenous m‐synephrine.