Development of determination of four analytes of Zhi-Shao-San decoction using LC-MS/MS and its application to comparative pharmacokinetics in normal and irritable bowel syndrome rat plasma.

Zhi-Shao-San (ZSS), a traditional Chinese medicinal prescription, has been clinically used for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) for centuries. A comparative study was designed and conducted to compare the pharmacokinetic differences between paeoniflorin naringin, hesperidin and neohesperidin after oral administration of ZSS decoction to normal rats and IBS rats induced by acetic acid and restraint stress. Further, an efficient, sensitive and selective liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry for the simultaneous determination of four analytes of ZSS decoction in rat plasma was developed and validated. The validated method was successfully applied to comparison of pharmacokinetic profiles of analytes in rat plasma. The results showed that the absorptions of naringin, hesperidin and neohesperidin in IBS group were all significantly higher than those in normal group and no obvious difference was seen for paeoniflorin between the two groups, which is helpful for improving clinical therapeutic efficacy and further pharmacological studies of ZSS.