Abstract:

AIM: To develop and validate a simple and sensitive high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) method for the quantification of paeoniflorin and to investigate the effect of different proportions of Ramulus Cinnamomi and Radix Paeoniae Alba on the pharmacokinetics of paeoniflorin in rats. METHODS: After the different proportion of Ramulus Cinnamomi and Radix Paeoniae Alba were orally administrated to each group at a paeoniflorin dose of 50 mg/kg in rats, the plasma samples were collected at the designated time points. The plasma concentration of paeoniflorin was determined by HPLC-MS/MS, warfarin as the internal standard. The main pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated and analyzed. RESULTS:The results of HPLC-MS/MS assay in plasma samples were in accordance with the requirements of biological samples. This method was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetics study of paeoniflorin in rats. The ratio of Ramulus Cinnamomi and Radix Paeoniae Albaat 1∶1 showed the rapid drug absorption trends. The Cmax, AUC(0-t) and AUC(0-∞) of single peony group was statistically significant compared with other groups (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The relative bioavailability of paeoniflorin in different proportions of Persicae Ramulus and Paeoniae Radix Alba were 302.61%,155.56%,245.45%,respectively. There was no significant change in tmax, but there was significant difference in biological half-life (P<0.05) between each group. CONCLUSION: The pharmacokinetics of paeoniflorin was affected by the proportion of Ramulus Cinnamomi and Radix Paeoniae Alba. In the view of pharmacokinetics, this experiment explains the scientific nature and rationality of ancient traditional Chinese to a certain extent.

Key words: Ramulus Cinnamomi, Radix Paeoniae Alba, compatibility, pharmacokinetics, paeoniflorin