Screening of lignan patterns in Schisandra species using ultrasonic assisted temperature switch ionic liquid microextraction followed by UPLC-MS/MS analysis

The ultrasonic assisted temperature-switch ionic liquid microextraction (UATS-ILME) has been successfully applied in extracting of seven lignans from Schisandra. 1-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([C4MIM][BF4]) aqueous solution was selected for extracting the target analytes in raw material at 80 degrees C. The lignans were deposited into a single drop by in situ forming 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([C4MIM][PF6]) by cooling down to 0 degrees C and centrifuging for 10 min. The extracts were analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) in a robust multiple-reaction monitoring (MRM) mode in five minutes. Meanwhile, the proposed method was validated and successfully applied to the determination of seven lignans in twelve Schisandra species. The results indicated that UATS-ILME combined with UPLC-MS/MS is a powerful and practical tool, which has great potential for comprehensive quality control of herbal medicines. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.