Comprehensive LC-MS Analysis of the Most Abundant Flavonoid Glycosides in the Extracts of Alcea rosea Flowers

The extracts of the Alcea rosea L. flowers are known to show various kinds of biomedical activities and are widely used as food and cosmetic ingredients. Unfortunately, no comprehensive analysis aimed at the identification of the most abundant flavonoid glycosides present in the extract of Alcea rosea L. has been made as of yet. In this paper we present the LC-MS identification of the most abundant flavonoid glycosides in the methanol and 75% ethanol extracts of Alcea rosea L. obtained from two manufacturers. The identification has been based on the detection of the respective parent and product ions as well as their relative abundances. The differences between identified isomeric and isobaric compounds have also been discussed. In all extracts a number of 3-O-anthocyanidin glycosides (anthocyanins) and 3-O-flavonol glycosides have been identified. Among the anthocyanins, the most abundant were malvidin glycosides, e.g., malvidin 3-O-(6″-[E]-p-coumaroyl)glucoside; among the flavonol glycosides, the most abundant were kaempferol glycosides, e.g., tiliroside.