High-Performance Liquid Chromatography—Electrospray Ionization-Mass Spectrometry Study of Ginkgolic Acid in the leaves and Fruits of the Ginkgo Tree (Ginkgo biloba)

A method is developed for qualitative analysis of ginkgolic acids in the leaves and fruits of Ginkgo biloba by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry technique. Negative ionization mode is successful in obtaining a very abundant deprotonated molecule [M - H]-. The mass detection sensitivity is higher than ultraviolet detection but relies heavily on the concentration of acetic acid in the HPLC eluent, which consists of acetonitrile-water-acetic acid. The method is also very specific for the analysis of ginkgolic acid with no interferences from the sample matrix.