Comparative pharmacokinetic analysis of raw and steamed Panax notoginseng roots in rats by UPLC-MS/MS for simultaneously quantifying seven saponins

Abstract

Context

After being steamed, the restorative effects of Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F. H. Chen (Araliaceae) will be strengthened. However, the underlying mechanism remains elusive.

Objective

To compare the pharmacokinetics of ginsenosides Rg₁, Rb₁, Rd, Re, Rg₅, Rk₁, notoginsenoside R₁ (GRg₁, GRb₁, GRd, GRe, GRg₅, GRk₁ and NGR₁) in the raw and steam-processed P. notoginseng (RPN and SPN).

Materials and methods

The pharmacokinetics of seven components after oral administration of SPN and RPN extracts (1.0 g/kg) were investigated, respectively, in SD rats (two groups, n = 6) using UPLC-MS/MS.

Results

The approach elicited good linear regression (r² > 0.991). The accuracy, precision and stability were all within ± 15%. The extraction recoveries and matrix effects were 75.0–100.8% and 85.1–110.3%, respectively. Compared with the RPN group, AUC_0–t of GRg₁ (176.63 ± 42.49 ng/h/mL), GRb₁ (5094.06 ± 1453.14 ng/h/mL), GRd (1396.89 ± 595.14 ng/h/mL), and NGR₁ (135.95 ± 54.32 ng/h/mL), along with C_max of GRg₁ (17.41 ± 5.43 ng/mL), GRb₁ (361.48 ± 165.57 ng/mL), GRd (62.47 ± 33.65 ng/mL) and NGR₁ (23.97 ± 16.77 ng/mL) decreased remarkably with oral administration of the SPN extracts, while GRe showed no significantly difference. Of note, GRg₅ and GRk₁ could not be detected in the plasma.

Conclusions

Influence of the processing reduced the systemic exposure levels to GRg₁, GRb₁, GRd and NGR₁. It is the first report of comparative pharmacokinetic study of multiple saponins analysis after oral administration of RPN and SPN extract, which might be helpful for further studies on its steam-processing mechanism.

Keywords:

• San-Qi
• ginsenosides
• steam-processed
• traditional Chinese medicine

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Jiajia Dong and Tulin Lu supervised the project and designed the experiments. Jiajia Dong performed the experiments and statistical analysis as well as the writing of the article. Zhenzhen Yin, Lianlin Su, Lin Li and Chunqin Mao collected samples and analysed the data. Mengting Yu and Meng Wang collected samples and modified the manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Natural Science Research Project of Jiangsu Higher Education Institution of China [No: 19KJB360016], the Project of Health Commission of Jiangsu Province of China [No: Z2020012], the Jiangsu Provincial Double-Creative Doctorate Plan and National Key R&D Program of China [No: 2018YFC1707000].