Original Paper	Planta Med 2000; 66: 635-640 DOI: 10.1055/s-2000-8619
Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York
Direct Analysis and Identification of Triterpene Glycosides by LC/MS in Black Cohosh, Cimicifuga racemosa, and in Several Commercially Available Black Cohosh Products
Kan He, Bolin Zheng, Calvin Hyungchan Kim, Lingling Rogers, Qunyi Zheng*
Department of Research & Development, Pure World Botanicals, Inc., South Hackensack, New Jersey, USA

Abstract

A method to directly identify triterpene glycosides using reversed-phase liquid chromatography with positive atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry (LC/(+)APCIMS) was developed. Based on the analysis of the molecular weight, fragment ions, selected ion chromatograms, a number of triterpene glycosides, including actein, 27-deoxyactein, cimicfugoside M, and cimicifugoside, from Cimicifuga racemosa were studied. A chromone, cimifugin, from C. foetida was also identified. Cimicifugoside M and cimifugin can specifically serve as indicators for species identification. The method can, therefore, be used to distinguish black cohosh products from among different plant species for quality control purposes.

Key words

Black cohosh - Cimicifuga racemosa - Cimicifuga foetida - Ranunculaceae - LC/MS - APCI - actein - 27-deoxyactein - cimicifugoside M - cimicifugoside - cimifugin