To avoid leaking disturbance of the residual template molecules in the application of the molecular imprinted polymer, target analogue (harman) imprinted polymer was prepared with affinity for harmaline and harmine, which exist in Peganum nigellastrum and show antitumor activity. The anti-tumor components, harmaline and harmine, in the crude extract of Peganum nigellastrum were separated and identified simultaneously from the complex matrix by connecting the molecular imprinting affinity column with a positive atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (API) time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry (MS). This result demonstrated the feasibility of efficient separation and identification of active components by combining molecular imprinting affinity liquid chromatography (LC) with mass spectrometry (MS).

Key words: Peganum nigellastrum, ANTITUMOR DRUGS, TEMPLATE AGENT, CHROMATOGRAPHY-MASS SPECTROMETRY, TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINAL HERBS