title: Comparative Pharmacokinetic Profiles of Three Protoberberine-type Alkaloids from Raw and Bile-processedRhizoma coptidisin Heat Syndrome Rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Bile-processedRhizoma coptidis(BRC), which has a colder drug property thanRhizoma coptidis(RC), is widely used for the treatment of heat syndrome. We compared the pharmacokinetics of the protoberberine-type alkaloids in BRC and RC in rats with heat syndrome to elucidate the bile-processing mechanism.
  
  
  METHODS
  We established a rapid and sensitive method for simultaneously determining three alkaloids: berberine, palmatine, and jatrorrhizine, in rat plasma based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. The separation was carried out on a Waters ACQUITY BEA C18column. The mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile (containing 0.1% formic acid) and water (containing 0.1% formic acid and 10 mmol/L ammonium acetate) and carbamazepine was used as an internal standard. The detection was carried out in a multiple reaction monitoring mode (MRM) using electrospray ionization in the positive ion mode.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pharmacokinetic profiles indicated that the Cmaxof berberine and palmatine increased two times and the Tmaxof the three alkaloids decreased three times after bile processing. AUC0→∞and AUC0→tof the alkaloids were similar between RC and BRC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that bile processing could increase the absorption rate of alkaloids. This study broadens our understanding of Chinese herbal medicine processing.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Contents of berberine, palmatine and jatrorrhizine, in heat syndrome rats' plasma between the raw and bile-processedRhizoma coptidis(RC) were determined by UPLC-MS/MS.The whole pharmacokinetic profiles of three alkaloids in the bile-processedRhizoma coptidis(BRC) were similar to those of RC.The shorter Tmaxand increased 2-fold Cmaxwere obtained after RC bile-processing.Bile-processing could promote the absorption rate of alkaloids in a certain degree.Abbreviation Used:RC:Rhizoma coptidis, BRC: Bile-processedRhizoma coptidis, HPLC: high-performance liquid chromatography, UPLC-MS/MS: ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/ mass spectrometry, LC-MS: liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, MRM: multiple reaction monitoring mode, QC: quality control, RE: relative error, RSD: relative standard deviation, Cmax: maxium of drug concentration, Tmax: time for maxium of drug concentration, AUC: area under concentration-time curve, LLOQ: Linearity and lower limits of quantification, t1/2: half-life, Clz: body clearance.
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Dalian, China.
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zi-Min
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Dalian, China.
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yue
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Dalian, China.
authors.forename: Gao
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hui
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Dalian, China.
authors.forename: Lv
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Dalian, China.
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gui-Rong
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Dalian, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
keywords: Bile-processed; Rhizoma coptidis; heat syndrome; pharmacokinetic profiles; protoberberine-type alkaloids