Phytochemical profiling of Moltkiopsis ciliata using DART-ToF-MS and GC-MS

Area of Science:

• Phytochemistry
• Natural Product Analysis
• Mass Spectrometry

Background:

• Saudi Arabian flora is rich in medicinal plants.
• Quality assessment and constituent analysis are vital for human health.
• Chromatographic and mass spectrometry methods are key for natural product analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To extract and profile natural constituents of Moltkiopsis ciliata.
• To identify major bioactive compounds in the plant.
• To evaluate the utility of Direct Analysis in Real-Time of Flight-Mass Spectrometry (DART-ToF-MS) and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) for phytochemical profiling.

Main Methods:

• Direct Analysis in Real-Time of Flight-Mass Spectrometry (DART-ToF-MS) for rapid profiling of fresh plant parts.
• Liquid-liquid extraction for fractionation based on polarity.
• Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) for analyzing total and hexane extracts.
• Analysis of flowers, leaves, roots, and stems.

Main Results:

• Over 30 compounds identified rapidly from fresh plant parts using DART-ToF-MS.
• Over 60 volatile compounds identified using GC-MS in hexane extracts.
• Identified compounds include potential anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant agents like indolizine, echinatine, heliotrine, vitamin E, campesterol, stigmasterol, γ-sitosterol, and phytol.
• The compound abrine was identified in this species for the first time.

Conclusions:

• DART-ToF-MS is a novel and effective method for rapid phytochemical profiling of M. ciliata.
• GC-MS analysis revealed significant volatile constituents with potential biological activities.
• The combined MS techniques offer a complementary approach for comprehensive plant natural product screening.
• Moltkiopsis ciliata possesses a rich phytochemical profile with potential medicinal applications.