Comprehensive Profiling of the Chemical Constituents in Dioscorea Bulbifera Using High Performance Liquid Chromatography Coupled to Electrospray Ionization and Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry

The rhizome of Dioscorea bulbifera (RDB) has been used in folk and traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of thyroid diseases and cancer. However, the chemical constituents are not fully clear. In this study, high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization and quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry was successfully used for the comprehensive characterization of chemical constituents in RDB. As a result, a total of 40 compounds were identified in RDB by comparison with the authentic standards or reported references, including 13 flavonoids, 2 diterpenoids, 2 stilbenoids, 12 steroidal saponins, and 11 phenolic derivatives. This study comprehensively elucidated the chemical basis of RDB and provided a robust foundation for the quality control and pharmacology research in the future.