Selective extraction, separation, and identification of anthocyanins from Hibiscus sabdariffa L. using solid phase extraction-capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry (time-of-flight /ion trap).

A method for selective extraction using SPE, electrophoretic separation at basic condition and the identification by using exact masses and fragmentation patterns has been developed in order to know the anthocyanins in dried calyces of Hibiscus sabdariffa L. A detailed and comparative study of several extraction procedures has been carried out to obtain the maximum number of anthocyanidins from the calyces and then a CE-TOF-MS method in positive mode using ESI has been developed for the separation and rapid identification of anthocyanins in H. sabdariffa L. Delphinidin-3-sambubioside, cyanidin-3-sambubioside have been detected as main components and cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside, delphinidin-3-O-glucoside and cyanidin-3,5-diglucoside, and chlorogenic acid as minor constituents. The confirmation of the anthocyanidins and chlorogenic acid was carried out using fragmentation ions with the IT-mass spectrometer (IT-MS).