title: [Effect of clopidogrel on plasma protein binding rate of ginsenosides: a liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based study].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of clopidogrel on the binding rate of ginsenosides with rat serum proteins (RSA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Equilibrium dialysis and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry were employed to quantify the concentration of ginsenoside Rg1 and Rb1. The protein-binding rates of Rg1 and Rb1 in the presence or absence of clopidogrel (1.0 mg/L) were determined. A molecular simulation model (consisting of homology modeling and molecular docking interaction) was used to reveal the target protein-compound interactions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The binding rates of ginsenosides Rg1 (0.4, 1.0, and 2.0 mg/L) with RSA were (30.16∓2.82)%, (33.42∓4.21)%, and (34.61∓3.42)%, and those of and Rb1 were (50.13∓2.34)%, (51.23∓3.23)%, and (53.11∓3.26)%, respectively. In the presence of clopidogrel, the binding rates of Rg1 decreased to (22.13∓2.72)%, (21.42∓3.22)%, and (25.45∓3.52)%, and those of Rb1 to (40.13∓3.24)%, (41.25∓4.15)%, and (43.11∓3.31)%, receptively. The molecular docking suggested that these compounds competed to bind with RSA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clopidogrel can competitively bind to RSA with ginsenosides to lower the plasma protein binding rates of ginsenosides.
authors.affiliation: College of Food and Drug, Anhui Science and Technology University, Fengyang 233100, China.E-mail: nothingchina@126.com.
authors.forename: Shi-Tang
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Guo-Liang
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.forename: Wen-Zhu
authors.initials: WZ
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Bing-Ting
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Wen-Zheng
authors.initials: WZ
authors.lastname: Ju
authors.forename: Heng-Shan
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Tan