Abstract: A rapid and precise method to identify the phytochemicals in the fruit of Lycium ruthenicum Murray (LRM) was established using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to triple time of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Triple TOF/MS) with multistage fragment ions data, the natural compounds mass spectral database and related data reported in the literature. Total anthocyanins in LRM were quantitatively analyzed by UPLC equipped with an Acquity UPLC BEH C18 column (2.1 mm × 50 mm, 1.7 μm). Gradient elution was carried out using 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid-10% formic acid aqueous solution as mobile phase A and formic acid:water:methanol:acetonitrile (1:5:2:2, V/V) as mobile phase B. The detection wavelength was 530 nm. The total content of anthocyanins was calculated as cyanidin-3-O-glucoside. Thirty compounds were identified from LRM, including 13 alkaloids and 13 anthocyanins. The concentration of cyanidin-3-O-glucoside in the range of 0.005–0.08 mg/mL had good linear relationship with the peak area (R = 0.999 9). The average recovery for spiked samples was 95.45%, with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of 2.62%. The chemical constituents of LRM were identified rapidly and efficiently by UPLC-Triple TOF/MS, and the UPLC method for the determination of total anthocyanins was highly repeatable and accurate and could be used for the quality evaluation and control of LRM.

Key words: Lycium ruthenicum Murry; ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to triple time of flight mass spectrometry; identification; total anthocyanins; determination