Pharmacokinetic comparison of seven major bio-active components in normal and blood deficiency rats after oral administration of Danggui Buxue decoction by UPLC-TQ/MS

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Blood deficiency is commonly encountered among women, and is the root of many gynecological disorders. Danggui Buxue Decoction (DBD), a classical traditional Chinese formula which is composed of Astragali Radix (AR) and Angelicae Sinensis Radix (ASR) at the ratio of 5:1 (w/w), is widely used in TCM clinics for treatment of blood deficiency syndrome. This study is to compare the in vivo pharmacokinetic properties of seven major bio-active components in normal and blood deficiency rats after oral administration of DBD.

Materials and methods: Blood deficiency rats were induced by bleeding from orbit at the dosages of 5.0mL/kg each day for 12 days. Normal and blood deficiency rats were administrated of DBD on the 12th day at the dosage of 20g/kg, and blood was collected at different time points after then. Concentrations of ferulic acid, caffeic acid, butylphthalide, ligustilide, calycosin-7-O-β-glucoside, ononin, and astragaloside IV in plasma were quantified by UPLC-TQ/MS, and the main pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated by DAS 2.0.

Results: It was found that Cmax, Tmax and MRT0~T of astragaloside IV, Cmax, T1/2Z, AUC0~T and MRT0~T of calycosin-7-O-β-glucoside, T1/2Z and AUC0~T of ferulic acid, T1/2Z, AUC0~T and MRT0~T of ononin, and MRT0~T of ligustilide, butylphthalide, and caffeic acid in blood deficiency rats was significantly different (P<0.05) from normal rats.

Conclusions: This study was the first report about pharmacokinetic investigation in blood deficiency animals which was conducted by bleeding. And the results demonstrated that the seven DBD constituents in normal and blood deficiency rats had obvious differences in some pharmacokinetic characteristics, suggesting that the rate and extent of drug metabolism were altered in blood deficiency animals.