Pharmacokinetic properties of ephedrine, amygdalin and glycyrrhizic acid after oral gavage of San-Ao-decoction in beagle dogs using a UPLC-MS method

Abstract

An ultra performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometric (UPLC-MS) method was developed to investigate the pharmacokinetic properties of ephedrine, amygdalin and glycyrrhizic acid after oral gavage of San-Ao-decoction (SA) in beagle dogs. Beagle dogs plasma samples were pretreated using liquid–liquid extraction, and chromatographic separation was performed on a C₁₈ column using a linear gradient of water and formic acid (0.1%). The pharmacokinetic parameters of ephedrine, amygdalin and glycyrrhizic acid from SA in beagle dogs were quantitatively determined by UPLC with photodiode array detection (PDA). The qualitative detection of the three compounds was accomplished by selected ion monitoring in negative/positive ion modes ESI-MS. Detection was based on the multiple reaction monitoring with the precursor-to-product ion transitions m/z 166.096–116.983 (ephedrine) and m/z 456.351–323.074 (amygdalin) and m/z 821.606–351.062 (glycyrrhizic acid). The selectivity, sensitivity, linearity, accuracy, precision, extraction recovery, ion suppression and stability were within the acceptable ranges. The method described above was successfully applied to reveal the pharmacokinetic properties of ephedrine, amygdalin and glycyrrhizic acid after oral gavage of SA in beagle dogs.