[Study on enhancing bioavailability of paeoniflorin by combined use with Chinese herbs for inner-warming].

OBJECTIVE

To study the influence of Chinese herbs for inner-warming on the bioavailability of paeoniflorin (PF) and its mechanism.

METHODS

Chinese herbs (pepper fruit, evodia fruit, cassia bark, fennel fruit and prickly-ash peel) were separately used in combination with PF for gastrogavage to mice. Reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography was used to determine the plasma concentration of PF in mice after medication. The bioavailability of PF was calculated and compared, taking single use of red peony root for control.

RESULTS

The pharmacokinetics of PF in mice was conformed to the one-compartment model, as combined use with Chinese herbs for inner-warming, the relative bioavailability of PF was 137.22% for pepper fruit, 123.62% for evodia fruit, 108.39% for cassia bark, 226.02% for fennel fruit and 116.73% for prickly-ash peel, there were difference of Cmax and AUC(0-infinity) in comparison of these data with the control group (P < 0.05), but with no difference of tmax (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The Chinese herbs used in this experiment in combination with red peony root could enhance the bioavailability of PF, which illustrated the scientific meaning of the recipe combination of Chinese herbs for activating blood circulation and inner-warming viewing from pharmacodynamics.