title: Simultaneous determination of liensinine, isoliensinine and neferine in rat plasma by UPLC-MS/MS and application of the technique to pharmacokinetic studies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The in vivo effects of traditional herbal medicines are generally mediated by multiple bioactive components. The main constituents of Lotus Plumule are alkaloids such as liensinine, isoliensinine and neferine. In this study, a simple, sensitive, and robust analytical method based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) has been developed for the determination of the three alkaloids in rat plasma using carbamazepine as internal standard (IS).
  
  
  METHODS
  After precipitation of the proteins with acetonitrile, chromatography was performed on an Acquity UPLC BEH C18 column (2.1mm×50mm, 1.7μm particle size) using a gradient elution with 0.1% formic acid in water and acetonitrile. Mass spectrometry involved positive electrospray ionization and multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) of the transitions at m/z 611.7→206.2 for liensinine, 611.3→192.2 for isoliensinine, 625.2→206.1 for neferine and m/z 237.1→194.2 for IS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The method was linear over the concentration range 5-1000ng/mL with a lower limit of quantifof 5ng/mL for each alkaloid. Inter- and intra-day precision (RSD%) were all within 11.4% and the accuracy (RE%) were equal or lower than 10.4%. Recoveries were more than 75.3% and matrix effects were not significant. Stability studies showed that the three alkaloids were stable under a variety of storage conditions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The method was successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study involving intravenous administration of liensinine, isoliensinine and neferine to rats.
authors: School of Pharmacy, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, China.
authors: Guoxin
authors: G
authors: Hu
authors: The Second Affiliated Hospital & Yuying Children׳s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China; The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, China.
authors: Ren-ai
authors: RA
authors: Xu
authors: School of Pharmacy, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, China.
authors: Yao-yao
authors: YY
authors: Dong
authors: The Second Affiliated Hospital & Yuying Children׳s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China.
authors: Yi-yan
authors: YY
authors: Wang
authors: School of Pharmacy, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, China.
authors: Wen-wen
authors: WW
authors: Yao
authors: The Second Affiliated Hospital & Yuying Children׳s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China.
authors: Zhi-chuan
authors: ZC
authors: Chen
authors: The Second Affiliated Hospital & Yuying Children׳s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China.
authors: Dongxin
authors: D
authors: Chen
authors: The Second Affiliated Hospital & Yuying Children׳s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China.
authors: Tiao
authors: T
authors: Bu
authors: The Second Affiliated Hospital & Yuying Children׳s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China. Electronic address: raygee0828@163.com.
authors: Ren-shan
authors: RS
authors: Ge
mesh_terms: D061605:Administration, Intravenous; D000818:Animals; D044182:Benzylisoquinolines / Q000097:blood* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D007546:Isoquinolines / Q000097:blood* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D008297:Male; D010636:Phenols / Q000097:blood* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry
chemical_list: D044182:Benzylisoquinolines; D007546:Isoquinolines; D010636:Phenols; C499779:isoliensinine; C057222:neferine; C080095:liensinine
keywords: Isoliensinin (PubChem CID: 5274591); Isoliensinine; Liensinine; Liensinine (PubChem CID: 160644); Neferine; Neferine (PubChem CID: 159654); Pharmacokinetics; Rat plasma; UPLC–MS/MS