Benzylisoquinoline alkaloids found in the Papaveraceae family play a major role in pharmaceutical biology. This is the first systematic study dealing with electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) of all benzylisoquinolines found as biogenetic precursors of morphinan alkaloids. Tandem mass spectral data are presented for norlaudanosoline, laudanosoline, 4′- O-methyl-norlaudanosoline, 6- O-methyl-norlaudanosoline, norcoclaurine, coclaurine, N-methylcoclaurine, N-methyl-3′-hydroxycoclaurine, N-methyl-3′- O-methylcoclaurine, norreticuline and reticuline. This study compares results obtained using an ion trap mass spectrometer with those obtained using a triple quadrupole one. The results highlight the differences between the tandem-in-time versus the tandem-in-space principle, often hampering the development of ESI-MS/MS libraries. In addition, the use of the atmospheric pressure photoionisation technique for the analysis of such substances is discussed.
Identification of Glycoside Compounds from Tobacco by High Performance Liquid Chromatography/Electrospray Ionization Linear Ion-Trap Tandem Mass Spectrometry Coupled with Electrospray Ionization Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry