I am analyzing extracts of the Euphorbiaceous plant Jatropha curcas, which is rich in diterpenoids, using GC-MS. I have found repeatedly a compound with retention time of 27.2 min, obtained from an methanolic extract of calluses. That extract was fractionated by column chromatography; fractions were tested for terpenoids with p-anisaldehyde (always was positive). My library cannot identify the compound and it is associating the mass spectrum with Stilbene, but with a low probability (28%). I want to say that I am not chemist, but biotechnologist. Could any of you give tips to interpret the mass spectrum? I am not interested to identify the exact structure, but only the kind of compound.
Please find attached a Word file with details.
Always check the Retention Index or compare the mass spectrum to a standard as a secondary form of identification - some plants are known to contain stilbenoids, but there is always the chance that a stilbene derivative could also be due to side-reactions of the phenyl portion of your column stationary phase bleeding at high temperatures or with dissolved oxygen....are you using a VS-5 column?
Do not rely on % matches too much, they are only a mathematical representation of fitting a structure to a mass spectrum.
Servus,
like Aron sas, derivates of stilbene are potential measurable..
we have one in our open source database (GMD-databese) designed for plants, but containing mainly primary metabolites, because of the limitation of GC-MS:
http://gmd.mpimp-golm.mpg.de/Analytes/75267efb-7127-4e13-8ac6-1dff869e6738.aspx
What I have in my mind that stilbene compounds strongly absorb ultraviolet light so if scan this extract in ultavoilet spectrophotometer may be u been able to identify your compound. some plants have characteristics of compunds like this
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