Identification of Daphnane Diterpenoids from Wikstroemia indica Using Liquid Chromatography with Tandem Mass Spectrometry.

Liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) has emerged as a powerful tool for the rapid identification of compounds within natural resources. Daphnane diterpenoids, a class of natural compounds predominantly found in plants belonging to the Thymelaeaceae and Euphorbiaceae families, have attracted much attention due to their remarkable anticancer and anti-HIV activities. In the present study, the presence of daphnane diterpenoids in Wikstroemia indica , a plant belonging to the Thymelaeaceae family, was investigated by LC-MS/MS analysis. As a result, 21 daphnane diterpenoids ( 1 - 21 ) in the stems of W. indica were detected. Among these, six major compounds ( 12 , 15 , 17 , 18 , 20 , and 21 ) were isolated and their structures were unequivocally identified through a comprehensive analysis of the MS and NMR data. For the minor compounds ( 1 - 11 , 13 , 14 , 16 , and 19 ), their structures were elucidated by in-depth MS/MS fragmentation analysis. This study represents the first disclosure of structurally diverse daphnane diterpenoids in W. indica , significantly contributing to our understanding of bioactive diterpenoids in plants within the Thymelaeaceae family.