Simultaneous determination and pharmacokinetics of four triterpenoids by ultra high performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry after the oral administration of Acanthopanax sessiliflorus (Rupr. et Maxim) Seem extract.

ABSTRACT

A specific, simple, and sensitive ultra high performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry method utilizing the Triple Quad system has been developed and validated for the simultaneous determination and pharmacokinetic study of four triterpenoid components of Acanthopanax sessiliflorus in rat plasma. The components are 22-α-hydroxychiisanogenin, chiisanogenin, (1R,11α)1,4-epoxy-11-hrdroxy-3,4-secolupane-20(30)-ene-3,28-dioic acid, and 22-α-hydroxychiisanoside. Sample preparation involved a liquid-liquid extraction of the analytes with ethyl acetate. Chromatographic separation was accomplished using an Agilent SB-C18 column (1.8 µm, 2.1 mm × 50 mm) with 2.0 min isocratic elution. The compounds were detected with a triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer in multiple reaction monitoring mode and an ESI source in negative mode. The method was linear for all analytes over the investigated range, with all determined correlation coefficients exceeding 0.9906. The limit of quantification of each analyte was lower than 1 ng/mL. The intraday and interday precisions were less than 14.9%, and the accuracy ranged from -10.2 to 11.8%. The mean recoveries of the analytes were higher than 80.0%, and the matrix effects were between 100.4 and 107.1%. These results may contribute to determining the mechanism of action and guiding the clinical application of Acanthopanax sessiliflorus.