High-performance thin-layer chromatography hyphenated to high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection-mass spectrometry for characterization of coeluting isomers.

The effect-directed analysis on a planar chromatogram allows for fast non-target screening, multi-imaging detection of effects (bioprofiling) and highly targeted characterization and isolation of bioactive compounds. For direct characterization by high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), however, the orthogonal hyphenation of two different liquid chromatographic techniques (planar and column chromatography) is still underexplored. In particular, it can be helpful in case of coeluting compounds. Exemplarily, lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) leaf extract was analysed by high-performance thin-layer chromatography in combination with bioactivity assays for antibacterial (against the Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis and the Gram-negative Aliivibrio fischeri) and α-glucosidase-inhibitory compounds (HPTLC-UV/Vis/FLD-EDA). High-resolution mass spectra of two bioactive compound zones were directly recorded via an elution head-based interface. By HPTLC-HESI-HRMS, the compound in zone a inhibited A. fischeri and was identified as linolenic acid, whereas the two closely related constitutional isomers oleanolic acid and ursolic acid were present in zone b. This was proven by two-dimensional liquid chromatography. Heart-cutting HPTLC-UV/Vis/FLD-HPLC-DAD-MS allowed the separation of the two isomers and proved both to be present in the bioactive zone with ursolic acid at a much higher abundance.