Development of a method for comprehensive and quantitative analysis of Yohimbine in Pausinystalia yohimbe by liquid chromatography-ion trap mass spectrometry

Abstract

A rapid and sensitive method for the identification and quantification of yohimbine in Pausinystalia yohimbe is described. The method used is liquid chromatography-quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometry (LC-QIT/MS). The yohimbine standard solution was directly infused into the ion trap mass spectrometers (IT/MS) for collecting the MSn spectra. The major fragment ions of yohimbine were confirmed by MSn at m/z 355, 224, 212, and 144, in the positive-ion mode. The possible main fragment ion cleavage pathway was studied. Yohimbine provided good signals corresponding to the protonated molecular ion [M + H]+. The method is reliable and reproducible, and the detection limit is 0.1 ng mL-1. The method was validated in the concentration range 0.1-50 μg mL-1; the intra- and interday precision ranged from 1.36% to 2.73%; and the accuracy was 96.5-108.2%. The mean recovery of yohimbine was 97.1-101% with a relative standard deviation (RSD) <1.93%. The LC-IT/MS method was successfully applied to determine the yohimbine in P. yohimbe.