Chemical Fingerprint Analysis of Phenolics of Albizia chinensis Based on Ultra-Performance LC-Electrospray Ionization-Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry and Antioxidant Activity

Albizia species have been shown to have anti-inflammatory and antiallergic properties. However, efficient analytical methods for identification of their active constituents are still lacking. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS) was used to study the phenolic composition of the ethanolic extracts of different parts (flowers, leaves, pods and bark) of A. chinensis. In addition, the antioxidant activity of the ethanolic extracts was evaluated by the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) free-radical and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) radical cation scavenging methods. Four compounds were isolated from the ethanolic extract of the flowers and characterized by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy as quercetin-3- O-rhamnoside, quercetin, quercetin-3- O-arabinofuranoside, and myricetin-3- O-rhamnoside. Separation and quantification of the phenolics was accomplished using a reversed-phase BEH C18 column with the mobile phase of methanol–water (0.05% formic acid), and detection wavelengths of 360 and 254 nm.