The influence of essential oils from ZhaLi NuSi Prescription on the pharmacokinetics of its non‐volatile components in normal rats

Abstract

Hui Medicine ZhaLi NuSi Prescription (ZLNS) is described in “Hui Hui Prescription,” and it has been used to treat cerebral infarction in Hui Region, China. In this study, a rapid and reliable ultra‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (UPLC–MS/MS) method was established and applied to simultaneously determine geniposidic acid, oxypaeoniflorin, hydroxysafflor yellow A, caffeic acid, magnoflorine, paeoniflorin, ferulic acid, β‐ecdysterone, icariin, rhein, and baohuoside I in rat plasma. The pharmacokinetic parameters of these components and the influence of essential oils (EOs) on them were investigated in normal rats. The results showed that the pharmacokinetic parameters (AUC0 − t, AUC0 − ∞, t1/2, tmax, cmax) of the aforementioned compounds were significantly changed after co‐administering with ZLNS EO. The AUC values of oxypaeoniflorin, paeoniflorin, ferulic acid, and baohuoside I with EOs were decreased significantly. This is the first report for the comparative pharmacokinetic study of ZLNS bioactive components in normal rats, which may provide the basis for drug interaction study in vivo and insight into their clinical applications.