Abstract
Euphorbia tirucalli aerial parts are popularly used in Brazil for cancer treatment. The elution of the aqueous extract of the plant on silica gel C-18 cartridge furnished a water-soluble fraction, which was analyzed directly into the electrospray ionization (ESI) source combined with Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) and characterized as a mixture of malic acid glycosides 1-5. The compounds were detected in their deprotonated form [M-H]-, where their exact mass (mass error lower than 1 ppm), molecular formula (CnHhOo), double bond equivalent (DBE) and connectivity were determined from ESI-(-)-MS and ESI-(-)-MS/MS experiments. The presence of malic acid and glucose, as part of the structures, could originate from crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) of the plant. (C) 2015 Phytochemical Society of Europe. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.