Stereoselective and Simultaneous Analysis of Ginsenosides from Ginseng Berry Extract in Rat Plasma by UPLC-MS/MS: Application to a Pharmacokinetic Study of Ginseng Berry Extract

摘要

The role of ginseng berry extract (GBE) has been attributed to its anti-hyperglycemiceffect in humans. However, the pharmacokinetic characteristics of GBE constitutes after oral GBEadministration have not been established yet. In this study, stereoselective and simultaneousanalytical methods for 10 ginsenosides (ginsenoside Rb1, Rb2, Rc, Rd, Re, Rg1, S-Rg2, R-Rg2,S-Rg3, and R-Rg3) were developed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography, coupled withelectrospray ionization triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS), for thepharmacokinetic study of GBE. Furthermore, the pharmacokinetic profiles of 10 ginsenosides afteroral GBE were evaluated in rats. All analytes were detected with a linear concentration rangeof 0.01–10 μg/mL. Lower limits of detection (LLOD) and quantification (LLOQ) were 0.003 and0.01 μg/mL, respectively, for all 10 ginsenosides. This established method was adequately validatedin linearity, sensitivity, intra- and inter-day precision, accuracy, recovery, matrix effect, and stability.Relative standard deviations for all intra- and inter-precision of the 10 ginsenosides were below 11.5%and accuracies were 85.3–111%, which were sufficient to evaluate the pharmacokinetic study of oralGBE in rats. We propose that Rb1, Rb2, Rc, Rd, Re, Rg1, S-Rg2, R-Rg2 and/or S-Rg3 were appropriatepharmacokinetic markers of systemic exposure following oral GBE administration.