Simultaneous determination of ginsenoside (G-Re, G-Rg1, G-Rg2, G-F1, G-Rh1) and protopanaxatriol in human plasma and urine by LC–MS/MS and its application in a pharmacokinetics study of G-Re in volunteers

• Published in: Journal of chromatography. B, Analytical technologies in the biomedical and life sciences Vol. 879; no. 22; pp. 2011 - 2017
• Main Authors: Liu, Lei, Huang, Jianquan, Hu, Xin, Li, Kexin, Sun, Chunhua
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 15-07-2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Analysis; Analytical, structural and metabolic biochemistry; Biological and medical sciences; Chromatography, Liquid - methods; Drug Stability; Flow rate; formic acid; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General pharmacology; Ginsenoside Re; Ginsenosides - blood; Ginsenosides - metabolism; Ginsenosides - pharmacokinetics; Ginsenosides - urine; Human; Humans; laboratory animals; LC–MS/MS; Linear Models; liquid chromatography; Mathematical analysis; Medical sciences; memory; Metabolite; Metabolites; Pharmacokinetics; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Reproducibility of Results; Sapogenins - blood; Sapogenins - metabolism; Sapogenins - pharmacokinetics; Sapogenins - urine; Saponins; Sensitivity and Specificity; Solid Phase Extraction; Solid phases; tandem mass spectrometry; Tandem Mass Spectrometry - methods; Urine; volunteers; Ginsenoside Re; Pharmacokinetics; Metabolite; LC–MS/MS; Human; Steroid; Urine; Biological fluid; Terpenoid; Chemical analysis; Volunteer; HPLC chromatography; Blood plasma; Saponin; LC-MS/MS; Mass spectrometry MS/MS; Simultaneous measurement; Triterpene; Glycoside
• ISSN: 1570-0232; 1873-376X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2011.05.018

Ginsenoside Re (G-Re) improved the memory function of experimental animals in a preclinical study. Several types of saponins including G-Rg1, G-Rg2, G-F1, G-Rh1, and protopanaxatriol (PPT) may be the metabolites of G-Re according to reports from preclinical trials. In order to support a study of the pharmacokinetics of G-Re, an analytical method for G-Re and the co-detection of its probable metabolites using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) was developed and validated. Solid phase extraction was utilized in the sample preparation. Separation of the analytes was achieved using a gradient elution (0.05% formic acid–methanol–acetonitrile, each organic phase containing 0.05% formic acid) at a flow rate of 0.3
mL/min with a retention time of approximately 2.88
min for G-Re. Data were acquired in the multiple reaction mode (MRM) and the linear range of the standard curve of plasma and urine samples for G-Re was 0.05–20
ng/mL with
r
2
≥
0.99. In the analysis of probable metabolites, G-Re, G-Rg1, G-F1, G-Rh1 and PPT were all detected in samples; however, G-Rg2 was not detected.