title: Pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of ginsenoside Rh2 and Rg3 epimers after oral administration of BST204, a purified ginseng dry extract, in rats.
abstract: 1. BST204, a purified ginseng dry extract containing a high concentration of racemic Rh2 and Rg3 mixtures, is being developed for supportive care use in cancer patients in Korea. This study investigates the pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of BST204 in rats. 2. After oral administration of BST204, only the S epimers, S-Rh2 and S-Rg3, could be determined in rat plasma. The poor absorption of the R-epimers, R-Rh2 and R-Rg3, may be attributed to lower membrane permeability and extensive intestinal oxygenation and/or deglycosylation into metabolites. The AUC and Cmax values of both S-Rh2 and S-Rg3 after BST204 oral administration were proportional to the administered BST204 doses ranged from 400 mg/kg to 2000 mg/kg, which suggested linear pharmacokinetic properties. 3. There were no statistically significant differences in the pharmacokinetics of S-Rh2 and S-Rg3 after oral administration of pure S-Rh2 (31.5 mg/kg) and S-Rg3 (68 mg/kg) compared with oral administration of BST204, 1000 mg/kg. These indicated that the presence of other components of BST204 extract did not influence the pharmacokinetic behavior of S-Rh2 and S-Rg3. 4. After oral dosing of BST204, S-Rh2 and S-Rg3 were distributed mainly to the liver and gastrointestinal tract in rats. 5. Our finding may help to understand pharmacokinetic characteristics of S-Rh2, R-Rh2, S-Rg3, and R-Rg3, comprehensively, and provide useful information in clinical application of BST204.
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy and Integrated Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The Catholic University of Korea , Bucheon , Republic of Korea .
authors.forename: Soo Hyeon
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.forename: Jung Bae
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Yu Fen
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Min Jung
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Sun Ok
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jeom Yong
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Young Hyo
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Kee Dong
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Euichaul
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Soo Kyung
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Bae
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D019540:Area Under Curve; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D036145:Ginsenosides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D008297:Male; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: C504856:BST204 ginseng extract; D036145:Ginsenosides; D010936:Plant Extracts; C097367:ginsenoside Rg3; C055305:ginsenoside Rh2
keywords: A purified ginseng dry extract; BST204; R-Rh2; S-Rg3; S-Rh2; and R-Rg3; pharmacokinetics; rats; tissue distribution