High-performance liquid chromatography–off line mass spectrometry analysis of anthraquinones produced by Geosmithia lavendula

Lilac coloured species of Geosmithia lavendula produce a mixture of polyhydroxylated anthraquinones under condition of submerged fermentation. Three pigments had been isolated and identified earlier as a 1,3,6,8-tetrahydroxyanthraquinone (compound 7), rhodolamprometrin (1-acetyl 2,4,5,7-tetrahydroxyanthraquinone; compound 5), and 1-acetyl 2,4,5,7,8-penthahydroxyanthraquinone (compound 4). A new HPLC method was developed for the separation of three known and ten new anthraquinone pigments. In addition, five new pigments were determined by FTMS as coeluting impurities. The analyses were performed on a reversed phase column using gradient elution with a mobile phase system consisting of phosphate buffer (50 mM; pH = 2.0) and acetonitrile. The structure evaluation was based namely on FTMS and UV–VIS spectrometry. The developed procedure was used for the determination of individual anthraquinones in fermentation broth of G. lavendula after 14 days of cultivation. The extractable amount and LOQ (both in μg ml−1) for the two main pigments from G. lavendula are 50.02 and 2.15 for compound 4, and 63.77and 2.75, for compound 5, respectively.