As a traditional medicine, Artemisia rupestris L. (Compositae) is widely distributed in Xinjiang of China, Central Asia, Europe, etc. It has the activities of detoxification, anti-hypersusceptibility, antitumor, antibacterial, antivirus and protecting liver. It is the key ingredient in Compound Yizhihao granule (Fufang Yizhihao Keli, No. Z20026711) which is used to cure cold in China.

　  Researchers at Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Indigenous Medicinal Plants Resource Utilization, Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences(XTIPC) applied a HPLC/QTOF-MS/MS method for rapid separation, structure characterization and identification of the components in the extract of Artemisia rupestris L. Based on accurate mass measurements and CID techniques, 91 components, involving 14 chlorogenic acid, 9 free flavonoid aglycones, 55 flavonoid O-glycosides, 4 flavonoid C-glycosides and 3 sesquiterpenoids and 6 unknown rupestonic acid analogues were identified or tentatively identified in the extract of Artemisia rupestris L. Among them, 5 potentially novel compounds were found, three 2-phenoxychromones (6-demethoxy-4’-O-methylcapillarisin-O-hexosyl-glucuronide, 6-demethoxy-4’-O-methylcapillarisin-O-pentosyl-hexoside, and 6-demethoxy-4’-O-methylcapillarisin-O-deoxyhexosyl-hexoside) and two sesquiterpenoids (hexosyl-glycurinide-rupestonic acid and hexoside-rupestonic acid).

　  Meanwhile, the fragmentation rules of 2-phenoxychromones were summarized. Also the possible fragmentation pathway rules of rupestonic acid, a guaiane sesquiterpenoids, were proposed.

　  The study entitled “Characterization and identification of chemical compositions in the extract of Artemisia rupestris L. by liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry” has been published on Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry 2012, 26: 83–100.

　  This work was funded by the China National Founds for Distinguished Young Scientists (Grant No. 30925045). Research was also supported by the CAS/SAFEA International Partnership Program for Creative Research Teams and the Scientific-Research Plan of the Xinjiang High Technology (No.200910105).