title: Determination of American ginseng saponins and their metabolites in human plasma, urine and feces samples by liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry.
abstract: American ginseng is a commonly consumed herbal medicine in the United States and other countries. Ginseng saponins are considered to be its active constituents. We have previously demonstrated in an in vitro experiment that human enteric microbiota metabolize ginseng parent compounds into their metabolites. In this study, we analyzed American ginseng saponins and their metabolites in human plasma, urine and feces samples by liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-Q-TOF-MS). Six healthy male volunteers ingested 1 g of American ginseng twice a day for 7 days. On day 7, biological samples were obtained and pretreated with solid phase extraction. The ginseng constituents and their metabolites were characterized, including 5 ginseng metabolites in plasma, 10 in urine, and 26 in feces. For the plasma, urine and feces samples, the levels of ginsenoside Rb1 (a major parent compound) were 8.6, 56.8 and 57.7 ng/mL, respectively, and the levels of compound K (a major metabolite) were 58.4 ng/mL, 109.8 ng/mL and 10.06 μg/mL, respectively. It suggested that compound K had a remarkably high level in all three samples. Moreover, in human feces, ginsenoside Rk1 and Rg5, Rk3 and Rh4, Rg6 and F4 were detected as the products of dehydration. Further studies are needed to evaluate the pharmacological activities of the identified ginseng metabolites.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang 212013, China; State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tongjia Lane, Nanjing 210009, China; Tang Center for Herbal Medicine Research and Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, University of Chicago, 5841 South Maryland Avenue, MC 4028, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
authors.forename: Jin-Yi
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.affiliation: Tang Center for Herbal Medicine Research and Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, University of Chicago, 5841 South Maryland Avenue, MC 4028, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
authors.forename: Chong-Zhi
authors.initials: CZ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Tang Center for Herbal Medicine Research and Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, University of Chicago, 5841 South Maryland Avenue, MC 4028, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
authors.forename: Zhi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Tang Center for Herbal Medicine Research and Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, University of Chicago, 5841 South Maryland Avenue, MC 4028, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
authors.forename: Qi-Hui
authors.initials: QH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Knapp Center for Biomedical Discovery, University of Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
authors.forename: Mark W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Musch
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Knapp Center for Biomedical Discovery, University of Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bissonnette
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Knapp Center for Biomedical Discovery, University of Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
authors.forename: Eugene B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tongjia Lane, Nanjing 210009, China.
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tongjia Lane, Nanjing 210009, China; Tang Center for Herbal Medicine Research and Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, University of Chicago, 5841 South Maryland Avenue, MC 4028, Chicago, IL 60637, USA. Electronic address: fleude@126.com.
authors.forename: Lian-Wen
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.affiliation: Tang Center for Herbal Medicine Research and Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, University of Chicago, 5841 South Maryland Avenue, MC 4028, Chicago, IL 60637, USA. Electronic address: CYuan@dacc.uchicago.edu.
authors.forename: Chun-Su
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Yuan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry; D036145:Ginsenosides / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D005894:Panax; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000378:metabolism*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D036145:Ginsenosides; D028321:Plant Preparations
keywords: American ginseng; Compound K; Enteric; Ginsenoside Rb(1); Ginsenosides; LC-Q-TOF-MS; Microbiota