[Pharmacokinetics of crocetin in rats].
OBJECTIVE
To develop an HPLC method for the determination of crocetin in rat plasma and study the pharmacokinetics in rats.


METHODS
Hypersil C18 column (5 microns, 4.6 mm x 200 mm) was used at column temperature 30 degrees C. The mobile phase consisted of methanol-water-acetic acid (75:24.5:0.5) at the flow rate of 1.0 mL.min-1. The UV detection wave length was 423 nm.


RESULTS
The calibration curve was linear (gamma = 0.9996) in the range from 0.49 microgram.mL-1 to 7.87 micrograms.mL-1 for crocetin. The mean recovery was 105.2%. The lowest detectable concentration of crocetin was 0.14 microgram.mL-1 (S/N = 3). The RSDs of within-day and between-day were all less than 5%. The plasma crocetin was steady. The HPLC method of determination of crocetin in the plasma was established. After single dose of 50 mg.kg-1 ig in 10 rats, the main pharmacokinetic parameters were estimated as follows: T1/2 alpha (30 +/- 6) min, Tmax(65 +/- 16) min, Cmax(5.0 +/- 1.0) microgram.mL-1, AUC0-T(845 +/- 109) microgram.min.mL-1, Vd(5.0 +/- 0.8) L.kg-1. Crocetin was shown to be absorbed into the blood through the gastrointestinal tract.


CONCLUSIONS
This method is quick, precise and reliable. Crocetin was shown to be quickly absorbed in rats.
Liu
Tong-zheng
TZ
Department of Pharmacology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
Qian
Zhi-yu
ZY
D000818:Animals; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000097:blood / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000097:blood / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods; D027622:Crocus / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000031:analogs & derivatives
D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; C487773:trans-sodium crocetinate; D014801:Vitamin A; D002338:Carotenoids