Use of Two-Dimensional Liquid Chromatography Combined with Diode-Array and Mass Spectrometric Detection for Analysis of Compounds in Flos Lonicera

Comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatographic separation by means of a combination of ion-exchange chromatography (IEC) and reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) has been realized and applied to the analysis of components of a traditional Chinese medicine Flos Lonicera. In the first dimension the components of a Flos Lonicera extract is separated on strong anion-exchange (SAX) column according to the charge-exchange properties of the components. In the second dimension the components are further fractionated by reversed-phase liquid chromatography (on ODS) on the basis of their hydrophobicity. The RPLC effluent is desalted and split and the components are identified on-line by use of both diode-array detection and mass spectrometry with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI–MS). In this way, the extract of Flos Lonicera can be rapidly separated, desalted, and analyzed, with determination of molecular weight. More than 58 components of an extract of Flos Lonicera were well resolved and six were tentatively identified from their UV and mass spectra.