Syzygium formosum (SF) leaves have been used for thousands of years in traditional Vietnamese medicine for the treatment of allergy or skin rash. However, the role of the phytochemical profile of SF leaves on their activities is poorly understood. Additionally, there is currently no quality control method for this herbal material, which is required by the pharmaceutical industry. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate chemical profile of SF leaves using high-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-PDA-ESI-MS/MS) and establish a simple and efficient HPLC method for controlling major bioactive compounds. The characterization of 28 components, including eleven flavonoids, thirteen triterpene acids, and four phenolic acids, was achieved on the basis of their maximum ultraviolet wavelength values and MS fragmentation pathways. An HPLC-evaporate light scattering detector (HPLC-ELSD) method over 35 min of analysis time for quality control of SF leaves was proposed. Using response surface methodology based on a Box-Behnken design and Derringer's desirability function, the optimal conditions for extracting the main bioactive compounds in SF leaves were determined. The content of marker compounds within SF leaves decreased in the order asiatic acid > corosolic acid > betulinic acid > maslinic acid. The developed HPLC-ELSD method is appropriate for quality control testing of SF leaves.
Keywords: Eugenia Formosa; HPLC–ELSD; LC–MS; Optimized extraction; Syzygium formosum.
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