Simultaneous Quantification of Secoisolariciresinol Diglucoside and Cyanogenic Glycosides in Flaxseed Products by Various Processing Methods

Two cyanogenic glycosides (linustatin and neolinustatin) and sucrose were isolated from defatted flaxseed, and their structures were determined by NMR spectral analysis and comparison with existing data. Using secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG) and the cyanogenic glycosides as standards, we developed a method to quantify the three compounds simultaneously by ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC)-MS in selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode. Using this tool, flaxseed powder—processed by various methods—was analyzed with regard to the contents of the beneficial compound, SDG, and the toxic compounds, cyanogenic glycosides. The levels of SDG in samples treated with alkaline solution are much higher than in samples without treatment, and in general, the levels of linustatin and neolinustatin in flaxseed powder decreased progressively as heating time is prolonged after treatment with alkaline solutions.