Determination by UPLC-MS of four dammarane-type saponins from heat-processed Gynostemma pentaphyllum

Heat-processed Gynostemma pentaphyllum and its main dammaran-type saponins, gypenoside L, gypenoside LI, damulin B, and damulin A, possess non-small cell lung carcinoma A549 cell inhibitory activity. We established in this study a method by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry for determination of the saponins and also investigated their content change in heat-processed G. pentaphyllum. The main saponins increased with increasing heating temperature and time. Further investigation showed that they were produced from gypenoside XLVI and gypenoside LVI by undergoing hydrolysis during the heat treatment.