UPLC-Q-TOF/MS-based screening and identification of the main flavonoids and their metabolites in rat bile, urine and feces after oral administration of Scutellaria baicalensis extract.
BACKGROUND
Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCMs) are increasingly used in combination with Western medicine. Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (Lamiaceae) is a widely used TCM in treating various diseases. However, the in vivo metabolism of its main bioactive flavonoids, baicalin, baicalein, wogonoside and wogonin, needs further study.


METHODS
A systematic method based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF/MS) technique combined with Metabolynx(TM) software was developed to speculate the metabolites and excretion profiles of the main flavonoids in S. baicalensis extract in rats bile, urine and feces samples after oral administration of the extract.


RESULTS
Four parent components and a total of 15 metabolites were tentatively detected in vivo. All metabolites were detected including sulfate and glucuronide conjugates, hydroxylated, methylated, acetylated and deoxygenated products. Twelve metabolites were from the rat urine, five from the feces and two from the bile. Among them, several products were reported firstly.


CONCLUSIONS
The research provided useful information for further study of the pharmacology and mechanism of action of S. baicalensis extract in vivo and a proposed method which could develop an integrated template approach to analyze screening and identification of biological samples after oral administration of TCMs.
Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, PR China.
Le-yue
LY
Du
Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, PR China.
Da-wei
DW
Qian
Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, PR China.
Er-xin
EX
Shang
Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, PR China.
Pei
P
Liu
Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, PR China. Electronic address: jiangshu2020@126.com.
Shu
S
Jiang
Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, PR China.
Jian-ming
JM
Guo
Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, PR China.
Shu-lan
SL
Su
Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, PR China. Electronic address: dja@njutcm.edu.cn.
Jin-ao
JA
Duan
Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, PR China.
Jun
J
Xu
Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, PR China.
Min
M
Zhao
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D001646:Bile / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid / Q000379:methods; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry; D008297:Male; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism*; D018517:Plant Roots; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D031364:Scutellaria baicalensis; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D014556:Urine / Q000737:chemistry
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D010936:Plant Extracts; C499814:Scutellaria baicalensis extract
Flavonoids; Metabolites; Scutellaria baicalensis extract; UPLC-Q-TOF/MS