Simultaneous determination of asarinin, β-eudesmol, and wogonin in rats using ultraperformance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and its application to pharmacokinetic studies following administration of standards and Gumiganghwal-tang

Asarinin, beta-eudesmol, and wogonin have common antiangiogenic activities and have the potential for use in chemotherapy. Besides, they are multivalent substances that are combined in various herbal medicines. The purpose of this study was to develop a method for simultaneous analysis of asarinin, beta-eudesmol, and wogonin, which are representative pharmacological components of Asarum heterotropoides, Atractylodes lancea, and Scutellaria baicalensis, respectively, in rat biosamples using ultraperformance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The three components were separated using 5 mm aqueous ammonium acetate containing 0.1% formic acid and acetonitrile as a mobile phase, equipped with a KINETEX core-shell C-18 column. The analysis was quantitated on a triple-quadrupole mass-spectrometer employing electrospray ionization, and operated in the multiple reaction monitoring mode. The chromatograms showed high resolution, sensitivity, and selectivity with no interference with plasma, urine, and feces constituents. The developed analytical method satisfied international guidance criteria and could be successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic (PK) studies evaluating oral bioavailability of asarinin, beta-eudesmol, and wogonin after oral and intravenous administration and their urinary and fecal excretion ratios after oral administration to rats. Furthermore, the analysis was extended to PK studies following oral administration of Gumiganghwal-tang. This study was the first simultaneous analysis of the aforesaid three constituents in rat plasma, urine, and feces that also determined their PK parameters.

Automated summary

This study developed a method for simultaneous analysis of asarinin, beta-eudesmol, and wogonin in rat biosamples, which showed high resolution, sensitivity, and selectivity. The analytical method met international guidance criteria and could be applied to pharmacokinetic studies with good results.