Identification of the absorbed constituents after oral administration of Yuanhu Zhitong prescription extract and its pharmacokinetic study by rapid resolution liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight.

Yuanhu Zhitong prescription (YZP) is well known for its analgesic effect. However, its multiple bioactive components in vivo remain unclear. In this paper, a rapid resolution liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight (RRLC-ESI-Q/TOF) was employed to identify the bioactive components and partial metabolites after oral administration of YZP extracts. Meanwhile, a RRLC-ESI-Q/TOF method was established and validated for the simultaneous quantification of protopine, α-allocryptopine, tetrahydropalmatine, corydaline, tetrahyberberine and byakangelicin in rat plasma and applied for their pharmacokinetic research. The results showed that twenty-one bioactive components of YZP were absorbed into the blood circulation and seventeen components were detected in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Moreover, the kinetic profiles of six analytes were obtained and the results suggested that the six analytes peaked between 3.5 and 5.0h and Cmax ranged from 214.6 to 858.3. The works could provide key information for identification of bioactive constituents and understanding the metabolism as well as pharmacological actions for YZP.