Abstract:
Direct Analysis in Real Time Mass Spectrometry (DART-MS) was applied to identify and study the distribution profile of piperidine alkaloids in different parts of Prosopis juliflora, without isolation and separation of the compounds by standard chromatographic techniques. With the help of DART-MS, chemical fingerprint of raw plant parts were generated, which revealed the presence of piperidine alkaloids in leaf, pod and flower. A comparative study of the distribution pattern, showed variation in the presence and distribution of these alkaloids in various parts of P. juliflora. The leaves and pod displayed the largest alkaloid pattern with a total of 12 different alkaloids in each part, whereas only 4 alkaloids were present in flower. Alkaloids: julifloridine, prosopine, prosopinine and prosafrinine were ubiquitously distributed in all the alkaloid rich plant parts. Juliprosopine was pre-eminet alkaloid in leaf, whereas pod and flower displayed copious amounts of julifloridine.