Qualitative Analysis of Kavalactones in Various Kava Samples Using GC-MS and DART-MS
Disciplines
Analytical Chemistry
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Kava, Piper methysticum, is a plant native to the South Pacific that has long been utilized for traditional ceremonial and medicinal purposes. Recent years, however, have seen a rise in abuse of kava products for its anxiolytic and sedative properties. There are also concerns about side effects such as fatigue and dizziness related to overdose of kava consumption. Kava products are freely available in the form of teas, capsules, and powders, found easily at many online and physical storefronts as is not well-regulated in the US despite being a controlled substance in other countries.
In this study, GC-MS (Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry), DART-MS (Direct Analysis in Real-Time Mass Spectrometry) instrumental analysis were utilized to identify the major kavalactones among different kava samples. Analysis was conducted on commercially available kava capsules, powders, tea bags, and blended raw roots, using acetone as the extracting reagent. The retention times found by GC-MS for the lactone standards are as follows: dihydrokavain (DHK) was found to have a retention time of 14.3-15.2 minutes, kavain at 15.7-17.2 minutes, dihydromethysticin (DHM) at 19.8-23.7, yangonin at 21.3-26.3, and methysticin at 21.6-26.9 minutes. Using these retention times and the major mass-to-charge fragments of each compound, these five Kavalactones were found in kava powder, kava root and kava tea samples, while the kava capsule in our study lacked DHM and methysticin and showed only a possible presence of yangonin. These results indicate that the capsules could be the most different one from the other samples in terms of lactone composition. Spectra from DART-MS has given supportive result. Further qualitative and quantitative comparison using GC/MS, FTIR, and DART-MS may be used in the future to better understand the chemical composition of major kavalactone among different kava supplements and product.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
CSM - Chemistry and Biochemistry
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Wei Zhou
Qualitative Analysis of Kavalactones in Various Kava Samples Using GC-MS and DART-MS
Kava, Piper methysticum, is a plant native to the South Pacific that has long been utilized for traditional ceremonial and medicinal purposes. Recent years, however, have seen a rise in abuse of kava products for its anxiolytic and sedative properties. There are also concerns about side effects such as fatigue and dizziness related to overdose of kava consumption. Kava products are freely available in the form of teas, capsules, and powders, found easily at many online and physical storefronts as is not well-regulated in the US despite being a controlled substance in other countries.
In this study, GC-MS (Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry), DART-MS (Direct Analysis in Real-Time Mass Spectrometry) instrumental analysis were utilized to identify the major kavalactones among different kava samples. Analysis was conducted on commercially available kava capsules, powders, tea bags, and blended raw roots, using acetone as the extracting reagent. The retention times found by GC-MS for the lactone standards are as follows: dihydrokavain (DHK) was found to have a retention time of 14.3-15.2 minutes, kavain at 15.7-17.2 minutes, dihydromethysticin (DHM) at 19.8-23.7, yangonin at 21.3-26.3, and methysticin at 21.6-26.9 minutes. Using these retention times and the major mass-to-charge fragments of each compound, these five Kavalactones were found in kava powder, kava root and kava tea samples, while the kava capsule in our study lacked DHM and methysticin and showed only a possible presence of yangonin. These results indicate that the capsules could be the most different one from the other samples in terms of lactone composition. Spectra from DART-MS has given supportive result. Further qualitative and quantitative comparison using GC/MS, FTIR, and DART-MS may be used in the future to better understand the chemical composition of major kavalactone among different kava supplements and product.