Shouchuan Wang

Pharmacokinetics screening for multi-components absorbed in the rat plasma after oral administration of traditional Chinese medicine Flos Lonicerae Japonicae–Fructus Forsythiae herb couple by sequential negative and positive ionization ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem triple quadrupole mass spectrometric detection

The current study aims to investigate the pharmacokinetics of multi-components (caffeic acid, quinic acid, genistein, luteolin, quercetin, neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid, arctigenin, genistin, luteoloside, astragalin, hyperoside, isoquercitrin, 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid, 3,4-dicaffeoylquinic acid, rutin, loganin, pinoresinol-β-d-glucoside, phillyrin, isoforsythoside, forsythoside A and forsythoside B) following oral administration of Flos Lonicerae Japonicae-Fructus Forsythiae herb couple in rats. A rapid and sensitive UPLC-ESI-MS/MS with sequential positive and negative ionization modes was developed to determine the 23 absorbed ingredients using one sample preparation combined with three chromatographic conditions in rat plasma. After mixing with internal standard (IS) (tinidazole and chloramphenicol), samples were pretreated by liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) with n-butyl alcohol/ethyl acetate (1:1, v/v). The separations for pinoresinol-β-d-glucoside, phillyrin, isoforsythoside, forsythoside A and forsythoside B were performed on an ACQUITY UPLC BEH C18 column (100mm×2.1mm, 1.7μm) with acetonitrile/methanol (4:1, v/v)-water as mobile phase. For analyzing quinic acid, an ACQUITY UPLC HSS T3 column (100mm×2.1mm, 1.8μm) was applied with acetonitrile/methanol (4:1, v/v)-0.01% formic acid as mobile phase after dilution up to 25-fold. The same column was applied to the other components with acetonitrile/methanol (4:1, v/v)-0.4% formic acid as mobile phase. The method validation results demonstrated that the proposed method was sensitive, specific and reliable, which was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic study of the multi-components after oral administration of Flos Lonicerae Japonicae-Fructus Forsythiae herb couple.

Study on the Main Components Interaction from Flos Lonicerae and Fructus Forsythiae and Their Dissolution In Vitro and Intestinal Absorption in Rats

The Flos Lonicerae-Fructus Forsythiae herb couple is the basic components of Chinese herbal preparations (Shuang-Huang-Lian tablet, Yin-Qiao-Jie-Du tablet and Fufang Qin-Lan oral liquid), and its pharmacological effects were significantly higher than that in Flos Lonicerae or Fructus Forsythiae, but the reasons remained unknown. In the present study, pattern recognition analysis (hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA)) combined with UHPLC-ESI/LTQ-Orbitrap MS system were performed to study the chemical constitution difference between co-decoction and mixed decoction in the term of chemistry. Besides, the pharmacokinetics in vivo and intestinal absorption in vitro combined with pattern recognition analysis were used to reveal the discrepancy between herb couple and single herbs in the view of biology. The observation from the chemical view in vitro showed that there was significant difference in quantity between co-decoction and mixed decoction by HCA, and the exposure level of isoforsythoside and 3, 5-dicaffeoylquinic acid in co-decoction, higher than that in mixed decoction, directly resulted in the discrepancy between co-decoction and mixed decoction using both PCA and HCA. The observation from the pharmacokinetics displayed that the exposure level in vivo of neochlorogenic acid, 3, 4-dicaffeoylquinic acid, isoforsythoside and forsythoside A, higher than that in single herbs, was the main factor contributing to the difference by both PCA and HCA, interestingly consistent with the results obtained from Caco-2 cells in vitro, which indicated that it was because of intestinal absorption improvement of neochlorogenic acid, 3, 4-dicaffeoylquinic acid, isoforsythoside and forsythoside A that resulted in a better efficacy of herb couple than that of single herbs from the perspective of biology. The results above illustrated that caffeic acid derivatives in Flos Lonicerae-Fructus Forsythiae herb couple could be considered as chemical markers for quality control of its preparations.

Effects of Gancao on pharmacokinetic profiles of platycodin D and deapio-platycodin D in Jiegeng

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Jiegeng (Radix Platycodi), the dried root of Platycodon grandiflorum A. DC (Campanulaceae), has been used to treat cough, sore throat, bronchitis, and bronchial asthma for thousands of years. It is commonly prescribed with Gancao (Radix et Rhizoma Glycyrrhizae) as a herbal combination in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to produce synergistic effects. AIM OF THE STUDY To elucidate the herbaceous compatibility of Jiegeng and Gancao, we investigated the comparative pharmacokinetics, intestinal absorption, and microbial metabolism of platycodin D (PD) and deapio-platycodin D (DPD), the platycodins contained in Jiegeng. MATERIALS AND METHODS In the comparative pharmacokinetic study, the concentrations of PD and DPD in Jiegeng extract (JE) and the Jiegeng-Gancao herb pair (JGHP) were determined in rat plasma using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). In addition, the main pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated using data analysis software (DAS). Furthermore, in vitro studies using Caco-2 cells and fecal lysates were performed to contradistinguish the intestinal absorption and microbial metabolism of PD and DPD in JE from those in JGHP. RESULTS The peak concentration (Cmax) and area under the plasma concentration curve (AUC) of PD in rats orally administrated JGHP significantly increased compared to that in rats treated with JE. In addition, the time to reach peak concentration (Tmax) and half-life (t1/2) of PD and DPD in combination with JGHP were all prolonged compared with those of JE. There was no significant difference in the absorption of PD between JE and JGHP in Caco-2 cells. However, the hydrolysis of both PD and DPD in JGHP were weaker than that in JE after a 2-h incubation in fecal lysate which might be responsible for the different pharmacokinetic profiles of the platycodins in JE and JGHP. CONCLUSION In this study, we discovered that Gancao might influence the pharmacokinetic profiles of PD and DPD in Jiegeng. Furthermore, the difference in profiles may be attributable to the inequable microbial metabolism rather than intestinal absorption of the platycodins in JE and JGHP. The results of this study elucidated the pharmacokinetic compatibility and rationale for the use of JGHP.

Simultaneous determination of twenty-six components of Flos Lonicerae japonicae–Fructus Forsythiae herb couple using UPLC-ESI-MS/MS: application to its preparations

In this study, we developed a method using UPLC-ESI-MS/MS to simultaneously determine the contents of forsythoside B, loganin, macranthoidin B, dipsacoside B, rutin, arctiin, phillyrin, pinoresinol-β-D-glucoside, 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid, 3,4-dicaffeoylquinic acid, isoquercitrin, hyperoside, astragalin, luteoloside, genistin, arctigenin, neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid, quercetin, luteolin, genistein, quinic acid, caffeic acid, isoforsythoside and forsythoside A in Flos Lonicerae japonicae–Fructus Forsythiae herb couple with a run time of only 8 min. The separation was performed on an Acquity UPLC HSS T3 C18 column (100 mm × 2.1 mm, 1.8 μm) at a flow rate of 0.4 mL min−1, and acetonitrile/methanol (4 : 1, v/v) – 0.4% formic acid was used as the mobile phase. Variations in the intra- and inter-day precision of all analytes were below 5.00%; the matrix effect of all the analytes was found to be within the acceptable range; and the accuracy was evaluated by a recovery test within the range of 95.63–103.10%. The method successfully quantified the twenty-six compounds in the Flos Lonicerae japonicae–Fructus Forsythiae herb couple. Moreover, it transpired through hierarchical cluster analysis and principal component analysis that the consistency of the Flos Lonicerae japonicae–Fructus Forsythiae herb couple as the two important herbs in Flos Lonicerae japonicae–Fructus Forsythiae herb couple preparations (Shuang-Huang-Lian oral liquid, Yin-Qiao-Jie-Du tablet and Fufang Qin-Lan oral liquid), except that in Qin-Re-Jie-Du oral liquid was relatively good. The results showed that the method was accurate, sensitive and reliable.

Pharmacokinetics, intestinal absorption and microbial metabolism of single platycodin D in comparison to Platycodi radix extract.

Background: Platycodi radix, the dried root of Platycodon grandiflorum A. DC, has been widely used as food and herb medicine for treating cough, cold and other respiratory ailments, and platycodin D (PD) is one of the most important compounds in Platycodi Radix. Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the pharmacokinetic characteristics, intestinal absorption and microbial metabolism of PD in monomer with that in Platycodi radix extract (PRE). Materials and Methods: In the pharmacokinetic study, the concentrations of PD in rat plasma were determined by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and the main pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated by data analysis software (DAS). Besides, in vitro Caco-2 cells and fecal lysate were performed to investigate the intestinal absorption and metabolism, respectively. Results: The results from pharmacokinetics showed that the area under the curve, the peak concentration the time to reach peak concentration and mean residence time of PD in PRE were enhanced significantly compared with that in single PD. Caco-2 cells transport study indicated that the absorption of PD both in monomer and in PRE were poor owning that the permeability of PD were <1/106 cm/s. The hydrolysis degree of PD in PRE was significantly lower than that in monomer PD in fecal lysate, which might be illustrated by the other ingredients in PRE influenced the hydrolysis of PD via gut microbiota. Conclusion: These findings indicated that the difference of microbial metabolism, not apparent absorption in intestine for PD between in monomer and in PRE contributed to their pharmacokinetic difference.

Effects of Pinellia ternata (Thunb.) Berit. on the metabolomic profiles of placenta and amniotic fluid in pregnant rats

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Banxia (BX) is the root of Pinellia ternata (Thunb.) Berit. Its processed products, such as Jiang Banxia (JBX), have been clinically used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat vomiting, coughing, and inflammation. However, data for their safety for pregnant women are contradictory and confusing. AIM OF THE STUDY To further explore the safety of BX, an ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) metabolomics approach was used to evaluate the metabolic perturbation in pregnant rats caused by BX and JBX. MATERIALS AND METHODS Placenta and amniotic fluid samples were collected from control Sprague-Dawley pregnant rats and exposed to BX suspension and JBX decoction (1.434g/kg/day). Samples were analyzed using LC-MS and GC-MS. The acquired MS data of above samples were further subjected to multivariate data analysis, and the significantly altered metabolites were identified. The associated pathways were constructed using MetaboAnalyst 3.0. RESULTS The weight and histopathology of the placenta from each group of rats had no definite difference. However, we found 20 differential endogenous metabolites that changed significantly in the placenta and amniotic fluid samples. The alterations of identified metabolites indicated a perturbation in glycerophospholipid metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and carbohydrate metabolism in pregnant rats exposed to BX and JBX. CONCLUSION In summary, this work suggested that oral administration of BX and JBX may induce disturbances in the intermediary metabolism in pregnant rats. This work contributes to further understanding the safety of BX and its processed products.

Development and application of a comprehensive lipidomic analysis to investigate Tripterygium wilfordii-induced liver injury

Lipid metabolic pathways play pivotal roles in liver function, and disturbances of these pathways are associated with various diseases. Thus, comprehensive characterization and measurement of lipid metabolites are essential to deciphering the contributions of lipid network metabolism to diseases or its responses to drug intervention. Here, we report an integrated lipidomic analysis for the comprehensive detection of lipid metabolites. To facilitate the characterization of untargeted lipids through fragmentation analysis, nine formulas were proposed to identify the fatty acid composition of lipids from complex MSn spectrum information. By these formulas, the co-eluted isomeric compounds could be distinguished. In total, 250 lipids were detected and characterized, including diacylglycerols, triacylglycerols, glycerophosphoethanolamines, glycerophosphocholines, glycerophosphoserines, glycerophosphoglycerols, glycerophosphoinositols, cardiolipins, ceramides, and sphingomyelins. Integrated with the targeted lipidomics, a total of 27 inflammatory oxylipins were also measured. To evaluate the aberrant lipid metabolism involved in liver injury induced by Tripterygium wilfordii, lipid network metabolism was further investigated. Results indicated that energy lipid modification, membrane remodeling, potential signaling lipid alterations, and abnormal inflammation response were associated with injury. Because of the important roles of lipids in liver metabolism, this new method is expected to be useful in analyzing other lipid metabolism diseases.

Disturbance in Plasma Metabolic Profile in Different Types of Human Cytomegalovirus-Induced Liver Injury in Infants.

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection in infants is a global problem and the liver is a target organ of HCMV invasion. However, the mechanism by which HCMV causes different types of liver injury is unclear, and there are many difficulties in the differential diagnosis of HCMV infantile cholestatic hepatopathy (ICH) and extrahepatic biliary atresia (EHBA). We established a non-targeted gas chromatography-mass spectrometry metabolomics method in conjunction with orthogonal partial least squares-discriminate analysis based on 127 plasma samples from healthy controls, and patients with HCMV infantile hepatitis, HCMV ICH, and HCMV EHBA to explore the metabolite profile of different types of HCMV-induced liver injury. Twenty-nine metabolites related to multiple amino acid metabolism disorder, nitrogen metabolism and energy metabolism were identified. Carbamic acid, glutamate, L-aspartic acid, L-homoserine, and noradrenaline for HCMV ICH vs. HCMV EHBA were screened as potential biomarkers and showed excellent discriminant performance. These results not only revealed the potential pathogenesis of HCMV-induced liver injury, but also provided a feasible diagnostic tool for distinguishing EHBA from ICH.

Study on the Rationality for Antiviral Activity of Flos Lonicerae Japonicae-Fructus Forsythiae Herb Couple Preparations Improved by Chito-Oligosaccharide via Integral Pharmacokinetics

In the present study, the rationality for the antiviral effect (H1N1 virus) of Flos Lonicerae Japonicae (FLJ, named JinYinHua)-Fructus forsythiae (FF, named LianQiao) herb couple preparations improved by chito-oligosaccharide (COS) was investigated. We found that the improvement of antiviral activity for four preparations attributed to the enhancement of bioavailability for the FLJ-FF herb couple in vivo, and that caffeic acid derivatives are the most important type of components for antiviral activity. The anti-Influenza virus activity-half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50), not area under concentration (AUC) was considered as the weighting factor for integrating the pharmacokinetics of caffeic acid derivatives. It was found that the integral absorption, both in vitro and in vivo, especially that in Shuang-Huang-Lian, can be improved significantly by COS, an absorption enhancer based on tight junction. The results indicated that the antiviral activity in four preparations improved by COS was mainly attributed to the integral absorption enhancement of caffeic acid derivatives.

Discovery and current status of evaluation system of bioavailability and related pharmaceutical technologies for traditional Chinese medicines—flos lonicerae Japonicae—fructus forsythiae herb couples as an example

Traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) have attracted extensive interest throughout the world due to their long history of health protection and disease control, and the internalization of TCM preparations or patented drugs has been considered a wind vane in the process of TCM modernization. However, multi-target effects, caused by multiple components in TCMs, hinder not only the construction of the quality evaluation system (bioavailability), but also the application of pharmaceutical technologies, which results in the poor efficacy in clinical practice. This review describes the methods in the literature as well as in our thoughts about how to identify the marker components, establish the evaluation system of bioavailability, and improve the bioavailability in TCM preparations. We expect that the current study will be positive and informative.