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Mass spectrometry (MS) offers unrivalled sensitivity for the metabolite profiling of complex biological matrices encountered in natural products (NP) research. The massive and complex sets of spectral data generated by such platforms require computational approaches for their interpretation. Within such approaches, computational metabolite annotation automatically links spectral data to candidate structures via a score, which is usually established between the acquired data and experimental or theoretical spectral databases (DB). This process leads to various candidate structures for each MS features.

Stilbenoids have received increasing attention over the last two decades since the discovery of resveratrol in wine. With an ever-growing rhythm, a multitude of biological activities of naturally occurring stilbenes are being reported. In this work, we investigated minor stilbenoid compounds from Vitis vinifera stalks. The compounds were purified by means of centrifugal partition chromatography (CPC), a countercurrent-separation technique. Electrospray ionization–ion trap mass spectrometry (ESI–IT-MS) after optimization proved to be extremely efficient for the detection of these new molecules, providing both structural information for structure elucidation and a means to achieve identification even with minute amounts.

Grapevine canes are rich in resveratrol and its complex derivatives. These compounds have many biological activities and are needed mainly for health purposes. Canes, which are often wasted, can be used to produce these high-value compounds at low cost. We studied sixteen Vitis vinifera L. cultivars among the most widely cultivated ones worldwide. Polyphenols were extracted from their canes and identified by liquid chromatography–nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. We accurately determined the content of E-ε-viniferin, E-resveratrol, E-piceatannol, and vitisin B and, for the first time, that of hopeaphenol and miyabenol C.

We present stilbenoid profiles of canes from 16 grapevines. Fifteen stilbenoids were obtained through isolation and structure identification using MS, NMR, and [α]D or as commercial standards. An HPLC–UV method for the simultaneous quantification of nine of these stilbenoids was developed and applied to canes of Vitis amurensis, Vitis arizonica, Vitis berlandieri, Vitis betulifolia, Vitis cinerea, Vitis × champini, Vitis × doaniana, Vitis labrusca, Vitis candicans (syn. Vitis mustangensis), Vitis riparia, Vitis rupestris, Vitis vinifera, Muscadinia rotundifolia, and a V.