Poppy alkaloid profiling by electrospray tandem mass spectrometry and electrospray FT-ICR mass spectrometry after [ring-13C6]-tyramine feeding

[ring-13C6]-Tyramine as a biogenetic precursor of Papaver alkaloids was fed to Papaver somniferum seedlings. The alkaloid pattern was elucidated both by direct infusion high-resolution ESI-FT-ICR mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography/electrospray tandem mass spectrometry. The structure of about 20 alkaloids displaying an incorporation of the [ring-13C6]-labeled tyramine could be elucidated. These alkaloids belong to morphinans, benzylisoquinolines, protoberberines, benzo[c]phenanthridines, phthalide isoquinolines and protopines. The information gained from the alkaloid profile demonstrates that the combination of these two mass spectrometric methods represents a powerful tool for evaluating biochemical pathways and facilitates the study of the flux of distant precursors into these natural products.