A mass spectral analysis of some cucurbitacins isolated from Fevillea cordifolia

Abstract

An examination of the mass spectral behaviour of cordifolin A 1(3β, 16α-dihydroxy-20, 25-epoxy-19(10→9β)abeo-10α-lanost-5-en-11, 22-dione), 3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-6, 1-β-D-glucopyranosidecordifolin A 2, 22α-hydroxy-23, 24-dehydrocordifolin A 3, and 22-deoxo-23, 24-dehydrocordifolin A 4, isolated from Fevillea cordifolia(Cucurbitaceae), illustrates the diagnostic fragmentation pathways that occur in these cucurbitacins. Tandem mass spectrometry allowed the construction of a detailed fragmentation map of 1. The structure elucidation of compounds 2–4 and their EI, Cl and FAB MS as well as those of cordifolin A 1 are discussed.