Pharmacokinetics Study of 16 Effective Components of Lignans from Schisandra Chinensis in Rat Plasma

OBJECTIVE To study the in vivo pharmacokinetics of 16 components including schisandrol A, gomisin D, and gomisin J in the lignans from Schisandra chinensis in rat plasma using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry(UHPLC-TQ-MS).

METHODS SD rats given intragastric administration of the 0.5% carboxymethyl cellulose sodium(CMC-Na) suspension(0.01 mL·g⁻¹) of purified lignans from Schisandra chinensis for five consecutive days. After the final administration, blood samples were collected from the retro-orbital plexus at 0.08, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1, 1.5, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 24, 48 h, UHPLC-TQ-MS was adopted in the plasma concentration determination of various active constituents, and main pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated.

RESULTS With the exception of gomisin G, whose response in rat plasma was below the lower limit of quantification, the other 15 lignan constituents from Schisandra chinensis were absorbed into systemic circulation. Furthermore, most of the lignans from Schisandra chinensis had a bimodal drug-time curves, which could partially prolong the duration of action of the lignans.

CONCLUSION The present study further improved the pharmacokinetic process of lignans from Schisandra chinensis in rats, and provided a useful reference for carrying out the research related to the active ingredients of lignans and their clinical applications.