title: Analysis of saikosaponins in rat plasma by anionic adducts-based liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method.
abstract: Saikosaponins (SSs) are a class of triterpene saponins with a wide spectrum of bioactivities. A sensitive liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed for simultaneous determination of saikosaponin a, saikosaponin c, saikosaponin d and saikosaponin b₂ in rat plasma. Plasma samples were prepared by liquid-liquid extraction. The analytes and the internal standard (IS) digoxin were well separated on an octadecyl column using gradient elution and analyzed by monitoring the fragmentation transition pair of anionic adducts to deprotonated molecules in negative-mode electrospray. By neutral loss of HCOOH, the transition pairs of m/z 825 → 779 for SSa, SSd, SSb₂ and the IS, and m/z 971 → 925 for SSc were sensitive for MS/MS detection with the lower limits of quantification in the range of 0.20-0.40 ng/mL. Method validation experiments were performed, including selectivity, precision, accuracy, linearity, matrix effect, recovery and stability. The validated method was further applied to determine the pharmacokinetics parameters of SSa, c and d in rats following a single oral administration of the extract of chaihu (the dried roots of Bupleurum chinense DC).
authors: Key Laboratory of Drug Quality Control and Pharmacovigilance, China Pharmaceutical University, Ministry of Education, Nanjing 210009, China.
authors: Lei
authors: L
authors: Xu
authors: Rui
authors: R
authors: Song
authors: Ji-Xin
authors: JX
authors: Tian
authors: Yuan
authors: Y
authors: Tian
authors: Guo-Qiang
authors: GQ
authors: Liu
authors: Zun-Jian
authors: ZJ
authors: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000838:Anions / Q000737:chemistry; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D004077:Digoxin / Q000097:blood; D004355:Drug Stability; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D016014:Linear Models; D059625:Liquid-Liquid Extraction; D008297:Male; D009828:Oleanolic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012503:Saponins / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000838:Anions; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D012503:Saponins; D009828:Oleanolic Acid; D004077:Digoxin; C025759:saikosaponin D