Heart-cutting two-dimensional (size exclusion × reversed phase) liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis of flavonol glycosides from leaves of Maytenus ilicifolia

Two-dimensional liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization mass spectrometry was employed to analyze flavonol glycosides present in leaves of Maytenus ilicifolia, frequently used in traditional Brazilian medicine. Since they contain many flavonol glycosides, including isomers, one-dimensional liquid chromatography did not give complete separation and identification, yielding overlapping of compounds with different molecular weights. Thus, employing size exclusion chromatography in the first and reversed phase in the second dimension, a great number of flavonol glycosides could be identified and its relative abundances determined. The majority of glycosides contained kaempferol or quercetin as aglycones, and glycosides with previously unreported structures were also present and characterized.