A fragmentation database of soyasaponins by liquid chromatography with a photodiode array detector and tandem mass spectrometry

Oleanane-type triterpenoids exist as secondary metabolites in various plants. In particular, soyasaponin, an oleanane-type triterpenoid, is abundant in the hypocotyl of soybean, one of the most widely cultivated crops in the world. Depending on their chemical structure, soyasaponins are categorized as group A saponins or group DDMP (2,3-dihydro-2,5-dihydroxy-6-methyl-4H-pyran-4-one) saponins. The different soyasaponin chemical structures present different health functionalities and taste characteristics. However, conventional phenotype screening of soybean requires a substantial amount of time for functionality of soyasaponins. Therefore, we attempted to use liquid chromatography with a photodiode array detector and tandem mass spectrometry (LC-PDA/MS/MS) for accurately predicting the phenotype and chemical structure of soyasaponins in the hypocotyl of five common soybean natural mutants. In this method, the aglycones (soyasapogenol A [SS-A] and soyasapogenol B [SS-B]) were detected after acid hydrolysis. These results indicated that the base peak and fragmentation differ depending on the chemical structure of soyasaponin with aglycone. Thus, a fragmentation database can help predict the chemical structure of soyasaponins in soyfoods and plants.