title: [Pharmacokinetics and disposition of beta-elemene in rats].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the pharmacokinetics, absorption, distribution and excretion of beta-elemene obtained from the roots and stems of Curcuma wenynjin Y. H Chen et C. Ling. in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  A GC method for isolation and determination of beta-elemene in biological specimens was used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After a single i.v. dose to rats, the plasma concentration-time course of beta-elemene fitted well to a two-compartment open model. With regard to i.p. administration of a single dose of 100 mg.kg-1 to rats, the absorption of the drug was rapid. Elimination of the drug from plasma was found to be in accord with linear kinetics, whereas the elimination half-lives were longer than that of i.v. administration. Only small amount of unchanged beta-elemene was excreted in urine, feces and bile after i.v. and i.p. administration. Plasma protein binding ratio was obtained from two different levels of beta-elemene, 97.7% from 60 micrograms.mL-1 and 96.5% from 100 micrograms.mL-1.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  beta-elemene was eliminated at a rapid rate and distributed widely in the body. The protein binding was found to be high. Unchanged beta-elemene excreted via urine, feces and bile were very few.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116027, China.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: C Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Su
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D006207:Half-Life; D008297:Male; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D051381:Rats; D012717:Sesquiterpenes
chemical_list: D009822:Oils, Volatile; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; C038905:elemene