Analysis of the active components and metabolites of Taohong Siwu decoction by using ultra high performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

Taohong Siwu Decoction is a classic Chinese medicine prescription for treatment of cerebral ischemia and gynecological diseases. However, the active ingredients of Taohong Siwu Decoction have not been identified. In this study, a ultra performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass system was used to analyze the active components and metabolites of Taohong Siwu Decoction absorbed into the blood and the brain. A total of 39 active compounds and 90 metabolites were identified in the blood and brain by comparing retention times, accurate masses, fragmentation patterns, and literature data. The results showed that flavonoids (Carthamus tinctorius L), aromatic organic acids, and benzoquinones (Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels and Ligusticumchuanxiong hort) were prominent active ingredients in Taohong Siwu Decoction. Furthermore, hydrolysis, glucuronidation, and sulfation were identified as the main metabolic pathways of Taohong Siwu Decoction in vivo. This was the first study to characterize the active components and metabolites of Taohong Siwu Decoction in the blood and brain using ultra performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass.