Browsing by Author "Kossmann, J."

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    Acrolein dimer as a marker for direct detection of acrolein in wine
    (South African Society for Enology and Viticulture, 2012) Bauer, R.; Hiten, N. F.; Crouch, A. M.; Kossmann, J.; Burger, B. V.
    Acrolein is highly toxic and its presence in wine has been correlated with the development of bitterness. Analytical detection and quantification in aqueous solutions are challenging due to high reactivity and problems with chemical derivative analysis. Here we demonstrate the potential of a natural derivative, formed under conditions prevailing in wine, as a marker for acrolein detection. Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled with gas chromatograph mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was validated as a technique for direct detection of the acrolein dimer. Conventional GC-MS analysis using a quadrupole mass spectrometer did not provide sufficient chromatographic resolution for the separation of the target analyte from interfering compounds. Accurate mass measurements with time-of-flight (TOF)-MS, on the other hand, allowed qualitative and quantitative measurements of the acrolein dimer. This work lays the analytical foundation for studies on the evolution of acrolein and its dimer in solution.
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    Toward the identification of a phytocannabinoid-like compound in the flowers of a South African medicinal plant (Leonotis leonurus)
    (BMC (part of Springer Nature), 2020-11-10) Hunter, E.; Stander, M.; Kossmann, J.; Chakraborty, S.; Prince, S.; Peters, S.; Loedolff, Bianke
    Objective: Current global trends on natural therapeutics suggest an increasing market interest toward the use and discovery of new plant-derived therapeutic compounds, often referred to as traditional medicine (TM). The Cannabis industry is currently one such focal area receiving attention, owing to the occurrence of phytocannabinoids (pCBs) which have shown promise in health-promotion and disease prevention. However, the occurrence of pCBs in other plant species are often overlooked and rarely studied. Leonotis leonurus (L.) R. Br. is endemic to South Africa with a rich history of use in TM practices amongst indigenous people and, has been recorded to induce mild psychoactive effects akin to Cannabis. While the leaves have been well-reported to contain therapeutic phytochemicals, little information exists on the flowers. Consequently, as part of a larger research venture, we targeted the flowers of L. leonurus for the identification of potential pCB or pCB-like compounds. Results: Flower extracts were separated and analyzed using high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC). A single pCB candidate was isolated from HPTLC plates and, using liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS), we could successfully group this compound as a fatty amide and tentatively identified as 7,10,13,16-Docosatetraenoylethanolamine (adrenoyl-EA), a known bioactive compound.