title: [Identification of icaritin metabolites in rat plasma by UPLC-QTOF-MS].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify metabolites of icaritin in rat plasma by ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Acetonitrile was employed to precipitate protein in rat plasma. The separation was carried out on a BEH C18 column (2.1 mm x 50 mm,1.7 microm) using a gradient mobile phase of acetonitrile, water and ammonium formate. High resolution mass spectrometry was applied for qualitative analysis in positive and negative ion modes, respectively. The metabolites were predicted by the PALLAS software and identified in the UNIFI database.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-four metabolites of icaritin in rat plasma which were generated by reactions of hydroxylation, hydrogenation, epoxidation, acetylation, demethylation, dehydroxylation, sulfation conjugation, glucuronidation and glycosylation, were identified.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A rapid and efficient UPLC-QTOF-MS method is established for the identification of icaritin metabolites in rat plasma, which provided support for the preclinical safety evaluation of icaritin.
authors.forename: Shi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Shuangqing
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000097:blood*; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D005419:Flavonoids; C499403:icaritin