Pyrrolizidine alkaloid composition of three Chinese medicinal herbs, Eupatorium cannabinum, E. japonicum and Crotalaria assamica.

The pyrrolizidine alkaloid composition of three Chinese herbs, "pei lan", "cheng gan cao" and "zi xiao rong," identified respectively as Eupatorium cannabinum, Eupatorium japonicum (Compositae) and Crotalaria assamica (Leguminosae), were studied by fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-electron impact mass spectrometry. Viridiflorine, cynaustraline, amabiline, supinine, echinatine, rinderine and isomers of these alkaloids were found in the Eupatorium species. Monocrotaline was the only pyrrolizidine alkaloid detected in the Crotalaria species.