Identification and partial characterization of C-glycosylflavone markers in Asian plant dyes using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Flavonoids in the grasses (Poaceae family), Arthraxon hispidus (Thunb.) Makino and Miscanthus tinctorius (Steudel) Hackel have long histories of use for producing yellow dyes in Japan and China, but up to now there have been no analytical procedures for characterizing the dye components in textiles dyed with these materials. LC-MS analysis of plant material and of silk dyed with extracts of these plants shows the presence, primarily, of flavonoid C-glycosides, three of which have been tentatively identified as luteolin 8-C-rhamnoside, apigenin 8-C-rhamnoside and luteolin 8-C-(4-ketorhamnoside). Two of these compounds, luteolin 8-C-rhamnoside (M=432), apigenin 8-C-rhamnoside (M=416), along with the previously known tricin (M=330) and several other flavonoids that appear in varying amounts, serve as unique markers for identifying A. hispidus and M. tinctorius as the source of yellow dyes in textiles. Using this information, we have been able to identify grass-derived dyes in Japanese textiles dated to the Nara and Heian periods. However, due to the high variability in the amounts of various flavonoid components, our goal of distinguishing between the two plant sources remains elusive.

Identification of yellow dye types in pre-columbian andean textiles.

A number of pre-Columbian textiles, most discovered in northern Peru and dating to the Late Intermediate Period (ca. 1050-1200 AD), were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array and mass spectrometric detection (LC-DAD-MS), after extraction of the dyes with formic acid and methanol. The focus of this work was yellow dyes, most of which are present as glycosides of flavonoids and related compounds, with the objective of identifying the plants originally used for dyeing. Two major types of dyes were found in this set of specimens. The first type is characterized by the presence of flavonol 3-O-sulfates (never before reported as being present in dyes) and 3-O-glycosides; this type was probably derived from the plant Flaveria haumanii or a close relative. The second type is characterized by the presence of both chalcone (heretofore not reported in pre-Columbian textiles) and luteolin glycosides, though a specific plant source could not be identified. Two other yellow dye types appeared to be present, but there were not enough examples to allow conclusions to be drawn. Also present in some extracts were various hydroxybenzoic acids, which appear to be oxidation products of the respective unsubstituted flavonol (3-hydroxyflavone) dyes. Most yellow dyes are synthesized in plants as glycosides (or other derivatives), which are incorporated more or less intact into textile fibers during dyeing. Extraction of these derivatives and analysis by LC-DAD-MS yields distinctive profiles that, with appropriate plant reference materials, can aid in the identification of the original plant dyestuffs.