Rapid identification of compounds in Glycyrrhiza uralensis by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

The chemical constituents of Glycyrrhiza uralensis were first analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HPLC/ESI-MSn). Above fifty major components, including triterpenoid saponins, flavonoids and coumarins, were isolated. Among them, twenty-two were identified as glucoliquiritin asioside, iosliquiritoside, schaftoside, liquiritigenin4'-apiosyl (1 --> 2) -glucoside, liquiritin, 6'-acetyliquiritin, isoviolanthin, licuraside, licorice-glycoside A, licorice-glycoside B, liquiritigenin, 3-0-[beta-D-(6-methyl) glucuronopyranosyl(1 --> 2)-beta-D-glucuronopyranosyl]-24-hydroxy-glabrolide, licorice-saponin E2, isoliquiritigenin, glycyrol, glycyrrhizic acid, glycycoumarin, licoisoflavanone, licoisoflavone A, uralsaponin B, neoglycyrol and licorice saponin B2 by the ESI-MS, ESI_MSn and ultraviolet ( UV) spectra.