Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2017:2017:7194075.
doi: 10.1155/2017/7194075. Epub 2017 Jun 1.

Determination of Epimedin B in Rat Plasma and Tissue by LC-MS/MS: Application in Pharmacokinetic and Tissue Distribution Studies

Qianru Feng  1 , Shunjun Xu  2 , Jiejing Yu  1 , Shuai Sun  2 , Liu Yang  1   2
Affiliations

Determination of Epimedin B in Rat Plasma and Tissue by LC-MS/MS: Application in Pharmacokinetic and Tissue Distribution Studies

Qianru Feng et al. J Anal Methods Chem. 2017.

Abstract

A simple, sensitive, and specific liquid chromatography tandem mass-spectrometric method was developed and validated for the determination of epimedin B in rat plasma and tissue samples. After being processed with a protein precipitation method, these samples were separated on an Agilent Eclipse XDB-C18 column with an isocratic mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile and 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution (32 : 68, v/v). The calibration curve of epimedin B was linear over the concentration range from 1 to 500 ng/mL in plasma and tissue homogenate. The method was then applied to pharmacokinetic and tissue distribution studies after a single oral administration of Herba Epimedii extract to SD rats. Results showed that epimedin B reached the plasma peak concentration at 0.4 h and the terminal elimination half-life was 1.6 h in rat plasma, and the plasma area under the curve from time zero to infinity (AUC0-∞ ) was 14.35 μg/L·h. The concentration distribution of epimedin B in rat tissue was in the following order: liver > ovary > womb > lung > kidney > spleen > heart > brain, indicating that the compound could be widely distributed in rat, and the reproductive system may be the principal target of epimedin B for female rat.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Chemical structure of epimedin B and genistein (internal standard).
Figure 2
Figure 2
(1) Full-scan mass spectrum of epimedin B (A1) and internal standard (genistein, B1). (2) Product ion spectrum of epimedin B (A2) and internal standard (genistein, B2).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Representative MRM chromatograms: (A1) blank plasma, (A2) blank plasma spiked with epimedin B at LOQ, (A3) rat plasma sample obtained at 0.5 h after administration, (A4) blank plasma spiked with IS, (B1) blank liver, (B2) blank liver spiked with epimedin B at LOQ, (B3) rat liver sample obtained at 0.5 h after administration, and (B4) blank liver spiked with IS.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Mean plasma concentration-time profile and tissue distribution of epimedin B in female rats after a single oral dose of Herba Epimedii extract (containing 15 mg/g epimedin B).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Wang X., He Y., Guo B., et al. In vivo screening for anti-osteoporotic fraction from extract of herbal formula xianlinggubao in ovariectomized mice. PLoS ONE. 2015;10(2) doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0118184.e0118184 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Liu R.-H., Kang X., Xu L.-P., et al. Effects of the combined extracts of Herba Epimedii and Fructus Ligustri Lucidi on bone mineral content and bone turnover in osteoporotic rats. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2015;15(1, article 112) doi: 10.1186/s12906-015-0641-4. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Chan B. C. L., Lee H. Y., Siu W. S., et al. Suppression of mast cell activity contributes to the osteoprotective effect of an herbal formula containing Herba Epimedii, Fructus Ligustri Lucidi and Fructus Psoraleae. Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology. 2014;66(3):437–444. doi: 10.1111/jphp.12166. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Wing Sze S. C., Tong Y., Ng T. B., Yin Cheng C. L., Cheung H. P. Herba Epimedii: anti-oxidative properties and its medical implications. Molecules. 2010;15(11):7861–7870. doi: 10.3390/molecules15117861. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Niu R. Action of the drug Herba Epimedii on testosterone of the mouse plasma and its accessory sexual organ before and after processing. China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica. 1989;14(9):530–574. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources