Application of Derivatization Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry for the Identification and Quantitation of Pinitol in Plant Roots

Pinitol (D-3-O-methyl-chiro-inositol), a cyclitol, has a variety of roles in plant biology, and is being used as a nutritional supplement. These applications increase the importance of finding new methods for determining the pinitol content in plant tissues. A reliable method for the identification and quantitation of pinitol using trimethylsilyl imidazole (TMSI) derivatization and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was developed. One major ion fragment, m/z 260, was used to quantify pinitol in three plant species. Soybeans contained approximately 1.9mg/g wet weight pinitol while levels in sugar beets and snap beans were below detection limits.