LC-MSn identification and characterization of the phenolic compounds from the fruits of Flacourtia indica (Burm. F.) Merr. and Flacourtia inermis Roxb.

The phenolic compounds of the fruits of Flacourtia indica (Burm. F.) Merr. and Flacourtia inermis (Roxb.), mostly cultivated and consumed in Sri Lanka were investigated qualitatively by HPLC tandem mass spectrometry and high resolution mass spectrometry. Thirty-five phenolic compounds were detected and characterized on the basis of their unique fragmentation pattern in the negative ion mode tandem MS spectra. Twelve of them were extracted for the first time from these sources and four of them were not reported previously in nature. It was also possible to distinguish between the isobaric (same molecular weight) phenolic compounds, dicaffeoylquinic acids and caffeoylquinic acid glycosides. For the positive identification of phenolic compounds by LC-MSn a series of experiments were carried out. This is the first report for the full characterization of phenolic compounds of the fruits of F. indica and F. inermis by LC-MSn.