Ion-pair and Ion-suppression High Performance Liquid Chromatographic Analysis of Alkaloidal Constituents of Artabotrys monteiroae

Abstract

lon-pair and ion-suppression mode high performance liquid chromatography was conducted on the alkaloidal constituents of the rools of Artabotrys monteiroae, an lmportant medicinal plant in Kenya having analgesic and anti-inflammatory action. Use of sodium perchlorate as an ion-pair reagent led to excellent separation. In the ion¬suppression system containing ammonium acetate, the separation was rather poor, but liquid chromatography ¬mass spectrometry was possible, which was not the case in the ion-pair system. Four aporphines, (-) ¬asimilobine, ( + )-wilsonirine, (+ )-norisoboldine and anonaine, and a benzylisoquinoline, (+ )-reticuline, were identilied alter isolation by preparative thin layer chromatography.