Biliary Excretion and Metabolite Identification of C₂₁ Steroid Components of Cynanchum Auriculatum Extract in Functional Dyspepsia Rat Model

OBJECTIVE  To study the excretion characteristics and metabolite of C₂₁ steroid components(qingyangshengenin and deacylmetaplexigenin) in Cynanchum auriculatum(CA) extract in the bile of rats based on the normal and functional dyspepsia(FD) states.

METHODS  FD rats were induced by intragastrically administrating ice-hydrochloric acid combined with irregular rearing. The bile was collected in different time periods after rats were intragastrically administrated CA extract at a dosage of 1 g·kg⁻¹, and then UPLC-MS/MS and UHPLC Q-Exactive Plus Orbitrap HRMS were used to determine and identify the cumulative excretion and metabolites of the two components in bile.

RESULTS  The ratios of cumulative excretion of qingyangshengenin and deacylmetaplexigenin in bile were determined within 0.09%−0.19% under different pathophysiological states. The cumulative excretion ratio of deacylmetaplexigenin in FD group was significantly lower than that in the normal group(P<0.05). Prototype components of qingyangshengenin and deacylmetaplexigenin and their twenty-four metabolites were detected in bile of FD group, which mainly occurred phase Ⅰ metabolic reactions(dehydration, reduction, oxidation, ect.) and phase Ⅱ metabolic reactions(sulfation, acetylation, glucuronide conjugation, ect.).

CONCLUSION  The excretion of the C₂₁ steroid components in CA extract are low in bile with a wide range of metabolic pathways, and the metabolism is affected by pathological state.