The application of HPLC‐MS/MS to studies of pharmacokinetics and interconversion of isoliquiritigenin and neoisoliquiritigenin in rats

Abstract

A specific and sensitive HPLC-MS/MS method was developed and validated for the simultaneously quantification of isoliquiritigenin (ISL) and neoisoliquiritin (NIS) in rat plasma by oral administration. Analytes were analyzed on an Agilent 6460 LC-MS/MS system (Agilent, USA) using an Agilent Zorbax SB-C18 column (4.6 × 150 mm, 5 μm). Gradient elution was applied for the analyte separation using a mobile phase composed of 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution and methanol at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min with a total running time of 12 min. The calibration curves for ISL and NIS showed good linearity in the concentrations ranging from 0.001 to 4.000 μg/mL with correlation coefficients >0.998. The precision, accuracy, recovery and stability were deemed acceptable. The method was applied to the pharmacokinetics study of ISL and NIS in rats by single and combination administration. The result showed that Cmax and AUC0→t of ISL were markedly increased from 0.53 to 1.20 μg/mL, and from 69.63 to 200.74 min μg/mL by combination administration. The mean t1/2 value was also prolonged from 64.55 to 203.74 min in the combination group. These results indicated that NIS may have been metabolized to ISL which increased the absorption and extended the elimination of ISL. However, little difference was found for NIS pharmacokinetics parameters between single NIS and the combination group, which suggested that there was no significant biotransformation of ISL to NIS. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Perspective on Biotransformation and De Novo Biosynthesis of Licorice Constituents

“…These compounds exhibit various bioactivities, especially triterpenoid saponins and flavonoids. All triterpenoid saponins − (Figure ) and significant flavonoids ,,− (Figure ) in licorice are summarized in Table .…”

MS‐based metabolite analysis of two licorice chalcones in mice plasma, bile, feces, and urine after oral administration

“…After urine and feces were collected, the mice were continuously administrated for 1 day. The blood samples were collected in heparinized tubes, respectively, at 0.5 h and 1 h after oral administration of ILG and ILQ via the orbital vein (Peng, Gong, Xiong, Chen, & Li, 2016; Qiao et al, 2012). The blood was centrifuged at 3500 rpm for 10 min at 4°C to extract the plasma.…”