New features on the fragmentation and differentiation of C-glycosidic flavone isomers by positive electrospray ionization and triple quadrupole mass spectrometry

Six flavone mono-C-glucosides, four standards (beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 --> C-6)- and -(1 --> C-8)- apigenin and luteolin) and two others from lemon juice (beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 --> C-6)- and -(1 --> C-8)-diosmetin) have been studied in order to analyze their fragmentation patterns. Initial separation was carried out using high-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection (HPLC/DAD) coupled to an electrospray ionization (ESI) interface and a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. Several systematic differences between collision-induced dissociation tandem mass (CID-MS/MS) spectra of C-6- and C-8-isomers have been found and some general guidelines and two new diagnostic product ions have been proposed for the differentiation of C-6- and C-8-flavonoid glycosides. These results have been successfully applied to the characterization of two flavone C-glycosides found in lemon juice, and mass spectra of a flavone di-C-glycoside detected in lemon juice have been studied and interpreted.