Rapid probe and isolation of bioactive compounds from Dioscorea panthaica using human serum albumin functionalized magnetic nano-particles (HSA-MNPs)-based ligand fishing coupled with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

The chemical diversity of secondary metabolites in medicinal plant makes it a huge challenge to isolate the bioactive compounds from herbal extracts, so quick recognition of the bioactive ones is of vital importance for improving the efficiency of isolation. In this study, a ligand fishing experiment based on human serum albumin functionalized magnetic nano-particles (HSA-MNPs) was performed to probe the bioactive components in a traditional Chinese medicinal plant, Dioscorea panthaica. The minor compounds fished out by HSA-MNPs were identified by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), and then separated from the extract of the whole plant by one or two steps of column chromatography under the guidance of ESI-MS.