title: UHPLC-MS method for determination of gambogic acid and application to bioavailability, pharmacokinetics, excretion and tissue distribution in rats.
abstract: A sensitive ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS) method was developed for determination of gambogic acid (GA) in rat plasma, urine, bile and main tissues. GA was separated on an Agilent Zorbax XDB-C18 column (50 × 2.1 mm, 1.8 µm) with gradient mobile phase at the flow rate of 0.2 mL/min. The detection was performed by negative electrospray ionization with multiple reaction monitoring mode. The calibration curves of GA were linear between 1.0 and 1000 ng/mL in rat plasma and bile and between 1.0 and 500 ng/mL in urine and tissues. The lowest limit of quantification for all matrices was 1.0 ng/mL. Both accuracy and precision of the assay were satisfactory. This validated method was firstly applied to bioavailability (BA), pharmacokinetics, excretion and tissue distribution in rats. The BAs of GA (40 and 80 mg/kg) in rats were 0.25 and 0.32%, respectively. GA was distributed extensively in rats after oral administration and exhibited the highest level in liver. GA reached the cumulative excretion amount of 25.3 ± 1.7 µg in bile and 0.275 ± 0.08 µg in urine after i.g. 80 mg/kg to rats at 24 h. The present results would be helpful for further clinical use of GA as a potential anticancer drug.
authors.affiliation: School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China.
authors.forename: Zhifen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China.
authors.forename: Wanglu
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ou
authors.affiliation: Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou, 075000, China.
authors.forename: Xinshi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: China Astronaut Research and Training Centre, Beijing, 100094, China.
authors.forename: Yongzhi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China.
authors.forename: Yujuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D001646:Bile / Q000378:metabolism; D001682:Biological Availability; D002138:Calibration; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D057230:Limit of Detection; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D044004:Xanthones / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*
chemical_list: D044004:Xanthones; C052659:gambogic acid
keywords: UHPLC-MS; bioavailability; excretion; gambogic acid; tissue distribution