Targeted and Untargeted Mass Spectrometry Do Not Detect Grayanane-Type Toxins in <i>Monotropa uniflora</i> L.
<i>Monotropa uniflora</i> L. ("ghost pipe"), is a North American traditional medicinal plant which has recently seen an increase in consumption nationwide. However, a single 1889 study reported the presence of grayanotoxin I in M. uniflora, generating controversy regarding its safety. It is essential to revisit this claim of toxicity given <i>Monotropa uniflora</i>'s resurgence in popularity. We applied more sensitive analytical techniques to determine the possible presence of grayanotoxins in a diverse sampling of <i>M. uniflora</i>, using mass spectrometry and MS<sup>2</sup>-based molecular networking. Across 50 <i>M. uniflora</i> samples, neither grayanotoxins nor structural analogues were detected, refuting the earlier analysis.
Authors
- Eric P. Burkhart (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8870-1340)
- Joshua J. Kellogg (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8685-0353)
- Savannah G. Anez (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8152-1606)
- Daghan B. Flail
Institutions
- Pennsylvania State University (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal of Natural Products
- Published
- 2025-09-22
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jnatprod.5c00805
- Primary Topic
- Bioactive Natural Diterpenoids Research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- U.S. Department of Agriculture
- Ohio State University
- National Institute of Food and Agriculture
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health