Astragalus genus has
been recorded as yielding a wide range of flavonoids, triterpenes, triterpene
saponins, and polysaccharides. Cycloartane- and oleanane-type triterpenes are
widely distributed in this genus with intriguing biological effects. Combining
liquid chromatography (LC) with high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) has
provided a valuable tool in the analysis of these triterpenes in plants. In
this chapter, we summarized the main triterpenes studied by liquid
chromatography highresolution mass spectrometry (LC-HR-MS) associated with mass
analysers, molecular weight information and mass fragmentation, presenting an
interesting overview of increasing interest for cycloartane- and oleanane-type
triterpenes.
Keywords: Astragalus, Biological activity, Chromatography, Fragmentation, Triterpenes, Orbitrap, LC-HR-MS, QTOF-MS.