title: Pharmacokinetic comparison between quercetin and quercetin 3-O-β-glucuronide in rats by UHPLC-MS/MS.
abstract: Quercetin is a natural flavonoid widely distributed in human diet and functional foods. Quercetin 3-O-β-glucuronide (Q3G) is present in wine and some medicinal plants. Quercetin and Q3G may be metabolized from each other in vivo. While quercetin has been the subject of many studies, the pharmacokinetic profiles of quercetin and Q3G (in animals) have not yet been compared. Herein, we prepared a column-based method for rapid isolation of Q3G from Nelumbo nucifera. Then, we developed an UHPLC-MS/MS method to compare the pharmacokinetics of quercetin and Q3G. Our results showed that the plasma concentration-time curves of quercetin and Q3G show two maxima (Tmax1≈ 0.75 h, Tmax2≈ 5 h). After oral administration of 100 mg/kg quercetin or 100 mg/kg Q3G in rats, predominantly Q3G was detected in plasma with AUC at 39529.2 ± 6108.2 mg·h·L-1or 24625.1 ± 1563.8 mg·h·L-1, 18-fold higher than quercetin with AUC at 1583.9 ± 583.3 mg·h·L-1or 1394.6 ± 868.1 mg·h·L-1, respectively. After intravenous injection of 10 mg/kg in rats, Q3G showed extensive tissue uptake in kidney (409.2 ± 118.4 ng/g), liver (166.1 ± 52.9 ng/g), heart (97.7 ± 22.6 ng/g), and brain (5.8 ± 1.2 ng/g). In conclusion, we have shown that Q3G is a major active component in plasma and tissue for oral administration of quercetin or Q3G.
authors: State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, No. 24 Tongjia Lane, Nanjing 210009, China.
authors: Le-Le
authors: LL
authors: Yang
authors: State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, No. 24 Tongjia Lane, Nanjing 210009, China.
authors: Na
authors: N
authors: Xiao
authors: State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, No. 24 Tongjia Lane, Nanjing 210009, China.
authors: Xiao-Wei
authors: XW
authors: Li
authors: State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, No. 24 Tongjia Lane, Nanjing 210009, China.
authors: Yong
authors: Y
authors: Fan
authors: State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, No. 24 Tongjia Lane, Nanjing 210009, China.
authors: Raphael N
authors: RN
authors: Alolga
authors: State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, No. 24 Tongjia Lane, Nanjing 210009, China.
authors: Xiao-Yue
authors: XY
authors: Sun
authors: State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, No. 24 Tongjia Lane, Nanjing 210009, China.
authors: Shi-Lei
authors: SL
authors: Wang
authors: State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, No. 24 Tongjia Lane, Nanjing 210009, China.
authors: Ping
authors: P
authors: Li
authors: State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, No. 24 Tongjia Lane, Nanjing 210009, China.
authors: Lian-Wen
authors: LW
authors: Qi
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D011794:Quercetin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: C443401:quercetin 3-O-glucuronide; D011794:Quercetin