LC-MS method for detecting prostratin in plant extracts and identification of a high-yielding population of Euphorbia fischeriana

► An LC-MSn method was developed to identify prostratin in plant extracts. ► Prostratin is a non-tumorgenic phorbol ester with promise for HIV/AIDS treatment. ► This method was used to screen root extracts of Euphorbia fischeri and related plants. ► There was a wide range of yields from individual plants. ► The highest yielding plants were collected from Yakeshi and Heide, China.