title: Development and validation of a UPLC-MS/MS method for the determination of cucurbitacin B in rat plasma and application to a pharmacokinetic study.
abstract: Cucurbitacin B (CuB), one of the most abundant forms of cucurbitacins, is a promising natural anticancer drug candidate. Although the anticancer activity of CuB has been well demonstrated, information regarding the pharmacokinetics is limited. A rapid, selective and sensitive UPLC-MS/MS for CuB was developed and validated using hemslecin A (HeA) as internal standard (IS). Plasma samples were pre-treated by liquid-liquid extraction with dichloromethane. Separation was achieved on a reversed-phase C18 column (50 × 4.6 mm, 5 µm) at 35°C using isocratic elution with water-methanol (25:75, v/v) at a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. The analytes were monitored by a triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer with positive electrospray ionization mode. The calibration curve was linear (r > 0.995) in a concentration range of 0.3-100 ng/mL with a limit of quantification of 0.3 ng/mL. Intra- and inter-day accuracy and precision were validated by percentage relative error and relative standard deviation, respectively, which were both lower than the limit of 15%. This assay was successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study of CuB in Wistar rats.
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Department, the First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China.
authors.forename: Waiou
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Emergency Department, the First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China.
authors.forename: Dahai
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Emergency Department, the First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China.
authors.forename: Weiwei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Department, the First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China.
authors.forename: Yushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Emergency Department, the First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China.
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000097:blood* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D019662:Cucurbitaceae / Q000737:chemistry; D057230:Limit of Detection; D059625:Liquid-Liquid Extraction / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / Q000379:methods; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000097:blood* / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D014315:Triterpenes; C041246:cucurbitacin B
keywords: UPLC-MS/MS; cucurbitacin B; pharmacokinetic study