Quantitative determination of 1-deoxynojirimycin in mulberry leaves using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

A novel HPLC–MS/MS method was developed for the quantitative determination of 1-deoxynojirimycin (DNJ), a potent glucosidase inhibitor present in mulberry leaves (Morus alba L.). DNJ was isolated from the mulberry leave extract on a TSKgel Amide-80 column using a mixture of 0.1% formic acid and acetonitrile as a mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.6 ml/min. A triple quadrupole mass spectrometry using electrospray ionization source in a positive ion mode under multiple reaction monitoring with the [M + H]+ ions, m/z 164.4/109.9 was used. The detection limit (S/N = 3) was 75 pg and quantitation limit (S/N = 10) was 100 pg. The comparison of mulberry leaves of different ages showed that the DNJ level was higher in mulberry shoots than young and mature leaves.