Ion-pair and ion-suppression high performance liquid chromatographic analysis of alkaloidal constituents of Artabotrys monteiroae

Ion-pair and ion-suppression mode high performance liquid chromatography was conducted on the alkaloidal constituents of the roots of Artabotrys monteiroae, an important medicinal plant in Kenya having analgesic and anti-inflammatory action. Use of sodium perchlorate as an ion-pair reagent led to excellent separation. In the ion-suppression system containing ammonium acetate, the separation was rather poor, but liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was possible, which was not the case in the ion-pair system. Four aporphines, (-)-asimilobine, (+)-wilsonirine, (+)-norisoboldine and anonaine, and a benzylisoquinoline, (+)-reticuline, were identified after isolation by preparative thin layer chromatography.