Phytochemical analyses of Ziziphus jujuba Mill. var. spinosa seed by ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Ziziphus jujuba Mill. var. spinosa (Z. jujuba) seeds have attracted much attention within the field of medicine due to their significant effects against disturbances of the central nervous system. Secondary metabolites composition is key to the influence of the pharmaceutical and commercial qualities of this plant. In this work, the phytochemical profile of Z. jujuba seeds was analysed by ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The UPLC-MS/MS information identified the main secondary metabolites in Z. jujuba seeds, including flavonoid C-glycosides, triterpene acids and unsaturated fatty acids. The leading chemical identified by UPLC-MS/MS was betulinic acid, and oleic acid was the leading volatile from the GC-MS results. All the samples tested showed similar phytochemical profiles, but levels of the chemical compounds varied. Principal component analysis revealed the principal secondary metabolites that could define the differences in quality. It was confirmed that the combination of UPLC-MS/MS and GC-MS was an effective technique to demonstrate the pharmaceutical quality of Z. jujuba seeds.