Development and validation of a new UPLC-MS/MS method for quantification of ganoderic acid-A loaded nanolipidic carrier in rat plasma and application to pharmacokinetic studies.

A systematic methodology was used to quantify ganoderic acid-A (GA-A) loaded nano-lipid carriers (NLC) in rat plasma using UPLC-MS/MS. Separation of the analyte was achieved using ACQUITY UPLC BEH C18 column (1.7 µm) and mobile phase as water containing 0.1% Acetonitrile (40: 60% v/v) at a flow rate of 0.4 mL·min-1. The analyte was detected using MRM mode to track precursor-to-product ion transitions of 515.37 â†’ 285.31 m/z (time scan of 2 min) for GA-A, and 175.11 â†’ 115.08 m/z (time scan of 4 min) for ascorbic acid as an internal standard (IS), respectively. The developed method was validated for linearity, accuracy, within and between day precisions, limit of quantification and recovery of the analyte. The results indicated intra and inter-day consistency and precision values were found to be within the acceptance limit for the plasma samples. The method applicability for determination of pharmacokinetic parameters of GA-A was assessed after oral administration of free GA-A solution and GA-A-loaded NLC, which indicated significant difference (p < 0.05) in the rate and extent of absorption parameters of GA-A from the NLC formulation vis-à-vis the plain solution. Overall, the studies construed successful development and application of UPLC-MS/MS method for estimation of GA-A in the lipidic formulation.

[Pharmacokinetics of ganoderic acids].

Ganoderic acid(GA) is one of main bioactive components produced by Ganoderma lucidum,which a traditional Chinese herbal medicine and a kind of tracyclic triterpene lanosterol derivatives with highly oxidized structure. It has a variety of important pharmacological activities,such as anticancer,immunoregulation,anti-oxidation,anti-diabetes and anti-HIV. At present,the studies of GA mainly focus on biosynthesis,fermentation control,isolation and purification,structure identification and pharmacological effects.However,there are a fewer pharmacokinetic studies of GA,although it is closely related to the clinical application. Recent studies have shown that GA can be absorbed rapidly by gastrointestinal tract and distributed in various tissues and organs after oral intake. GA is metabolized by liver at phase Ⅰ and phase Ⅱ,and then mainly excreted by bile. In this paper,the pharmacokinetic characteristics of GA and its absorption,distribution,metabolism and excretion(ADME) will be systematically summarized,in order to provide scientific basis for the application and development studies of Ganoderma triterpenoid drugs and their rational clinical use.

Ganoderic Acid A Targeting ß-Catenin in Wnt Signaling Pathway: In Silico and In Vitro Study.

Wnt signaling pathways are the group of signaling transduction controlling the embryonic development, cell proliferation, cell migration, cell fate specification, and body axis pattern. Nuclear accumulation of ß-catenin in Wnt signaling is a widely recognized marker of poor cancer prognosis which regulates fat and glucose metabolism. Ganoderic acid is a triterpene isolated from fungus Ganoderma lucidum renowned for its pharmacological effects. The present study revealed the mechanistic study of ß-catenin with 50 isoforms of ganoderic acid by molecular docking using Maestro 9.6 (Schrödinger Inc) in Wnt signaling pathway. Molecular docking reveals the binding interaction of ß-catenin and ganoderic acid A with GScore (-9.44), kcal/mol, lipophilic EvdW (-2.86), electro (-0.72), Glide emodel (-50.401), MM-GBSA (-87.441), H bond (-1.91) with Lys 180 and Asn 220 residues involved in hydrogen bonding. Qikprop analyzed the absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity and confirmed that most of the isoforms satisfies Lipinski rule but needs little modifications in their structure. The ganoderic acid A is the best-docked isoforms which inhibits the proliferation, viability, and intracellular ROS of pancreatic cancer RIN-5F cells in a dose-dependent manner.

Quantitation of lanosterol in the vitreous humor of rabbits after ocular administration of lanosterol/thermogel formulation by ultra high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry with the electrospray ionization mode.

Cataracts are the most common cause of blindness worldwide affecting tens of millions of people. Here, we report a simple, rapid, sensitive and specific method by ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry with the electrospray ionization mode (UPLC-ESI-MS/MS) for quantitation of lanosterol, a possible effective drug for cataracts, in the vitreous humor of rabbits after ocular administration. The injected lanosterol was prepared by dispersing lanosterol molecules into the poly-(dl-lactic acid-co-glycolic acid)-poly(ethylene glycol)-poly-(dl-lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA-PEG-PLGA) thermogel solution. The analyte and internal standard (IS, panaxadiol) were extracted by the simple protein precipitation with methanol. The chromatographic separation used an Agilent RRHD SB-C18 column with a methanol mobile phase containing 50mM of ammonium acetate aqueous solution (with 0.1% formic acid) (95:5, v/v). The protonated analyte was quantitated in positive ionization by multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) with a mass spectrometer. The mass transitions m/z 443.5→235 and m/z 461→127 were used to measure the analyte and IS, respectively. The assay exhibited a linear dynamic range of 1-1250ngmL-1 for lanosterol in vitreous samples. The lower limit of quantitation (LLOQ) was 1ngmL-1 with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of less than 15%. Acceptable precision and accuracy were obtained for concentrations over the standard curve ranges. A run time of 5min per sample offered a throughput of more than 200 samples per day. This validated method was used to analyze vitreous samples of New Zealand white rabbits for pharmacokinetic studies. The results provided useful information on pharmacological action mechanism of lanosterol and were meaningful for cataract treatment among the elderly population.

Quantitative determination of euphol in rat plasma by LC-MS/MS and its application to a pharmacokinetic study.

Euphol is a potential pharmacologically active ingredient isolated from Euphorbia kansui. A simple, rapid, and sensitive method to determine euphol in rat plasma was developed based on liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for the first time. The analyte and internal standard (IS), oleanic acid, were extracted from plasma with methanol and chromatographied on a C18 short column eluted with a mobile phase of methanol­water­formic acid (95:5:0.1, v/v/v). Detection was performed by positive ion atmospheric pressure chemical ionization in selective reaction monitoring mode. This method monitored the transitions m/z 409.0 →109.2 and m/z 439.4 → 203.2 for euphol and IS, respectively. The assay was linear over the concentration range 27­9000 ng/mL, with a limit of quantitation of 27 ng/mL. The accuracy was between ­7.04 and 4.11%, and the precision was <10.83%. This LC-MS/MS method was successfully applied to investigate the pharmacokinetic study of euphol in rats after intravenous (6 mg/kg) and oral (48 mg/kg) administration. Results showed that the absolute bioavailability of euphol was approximately 46.01%.

Pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of cimicifugosides after oral administration of Cimicifuga foetida L. extract to rats.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Cimicifuga foetida L., a traditional Chinese medicine, has been used as an anti-inflammatory, antipyretic and analgesic remedy. The primary active constituents are believed to be present in the triterpene glycoside fraction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To develop an LC-MS/MS assay for four major cimicifugosides [cimicifugoside H-1 (Cim A), 23-epi-26-deoxyactein (Cim B), cimigenolxyloside (Cim C) and 25-O-acetylcimigenoside (Cim D)] obtained from C. foetida L. and apply it to investigate their pharmacokinetic (PK) properties and bioavailabilities through oral administration of C. foetida L. extract (12.5, 25 and 50mg/kg) and single intravenous (i.v.) doses (5mg/kg) of the individual cimicifugosides in rat. PK parameters were estimated by non-compartmental analysis. RESULTS: All calibration curves showed excellent linear regressions (all r>0.995) within the range of tested concentrations. The intra- and inter-day variations were <15% in terms of RSD. The molar ratio of Cims A, B, C, and D in the extract was 20.7:1.4:2.9:1. PK parameters for Cims A, B, C, and D following oral administration of the extract were respectively: C(max) 4.05-17.69, 90.93-395.7, 407.1-1180 and 21.56-45.09pmol/mL; T(max) 0.46-1.28, 2.00-4.67, 14.67-19.67 and 8.08-14.27h; absolute oral bioavailability (F) 1.86-6.97%, 26.8-48.5%, 238-319% and 32.9-48%. PK parameters after i.v. administration of individual cimicifugosides were respectively: elimination half-life 1.1, 2.5, 5.7 and 4.2h; clearance 15.7, 0.48, 0.24 and 1.13mL/hkg. CONCLUSIONS: Systemic exposure to Cims B, C and D following oral administration of the extract was significantly greater than to Cim A despite the predominance of Cim A in the extract. Significantly different clearance and interconversion from Cim A to Cim C probably accounts for the different exposure to the four cimicifugosides.