Matrix effects have been a major concern when developing LC−MS/MS methods for quantitative bioanalysis of cycloserine. Sample handling procedures including solid phase extraction or derivatization have been reported previously by researchers to overcome matrix effects of cycloserine. In the present study, the possibility of reducing matrix effects of cycloserine using protein precipitation coupled with dilution techniques was investigated. Plasma samples were pretreated by protein precipitation with methanol followed by a 40-fold dilution with methanol–water (50:50, v/v). The analyte and the internal standard (mildronate) were chromatographed on a Shim-pack XR-ODS (100 mm × 2.0 mm, 2.2 μm) column using methanol–0.01% formic acid (70:30, v/v) as mobile phase and detected by multiple reaction monitoring mode via positive electrospray ionization. The total run time was only 2 min per sample. The suppression of cycloserine response was reduced with the matrix effects ranging between 80.5 and 87.9%. A lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) of 0.300 μg/mL was achieved using only 10 μL of plasma. The intra- and inter-day precisions were less than 4.8% and the accuracy ranged from −2.6 to 6.6%. The method was successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study of cycloserine in 30 healthy Chinese male subjects after oral administration of a single dose of cycloserine at 250, 500 and 750 mg under fasting conditions. The newly developed method is simpler, faster, cost-effective, and more robust than previously reported LC-MS/MS methods.

•A novel ligand fishing strategy based on dual-target screening for TCM was developed.•Hollow fiber-based ligand fishing in combination with LC–MS was devised.•Ligands of α-glucosidase and ACE were identified from complex matrix simultaneously.•Screening results were verified by enzyme inhibitory assay and molecular docking.A novel strategy was developed for dual-target screening of bioactive components from traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs). This strategy was based on the use of low-cost microporous hollow fibers filled with target enzymes as baits to “fish out” the ligands in TCM extracts, followed by identification of the ligands dissociated from the target-ligand complexes by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. Ganjiang Huangqin Huanglian Renshen Decoction (GHHRD), a classical TCM prescription for diabetes treatment, was chosen as a model sample to evaluate the feasibility of the proposed strategy. Three bioactive components were successfully screened out from GHHRD. Coptisine was identified as the ligand of α-glucosidase and baicalin as the ligand of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE). Berberine was found to be a dual inhibitor of α-glucosidase and ACE. The results were further verified by enzyme inhibitory assay and molecular docking simulation. The study suggested that our developed strategy would be a powerful tool for screening bioactive components from multi-component and multi-target TCMs.Download high-res image (125KB)Download full-size image

•Simultaneous determination of seven alkaloids from Rhizoma Corydalis decumbens in rabbit aqueous humor by LC–MS/MS.•Study the effects of borneol on alkaloids corneal permeability.•Penetration enhancement effect of borneol presented a dose dependent.•Quaternary ammonium alkaloids showed worse corneal permeability than tertiary amine alkaloids.This study aims to establish a fast and sensitive LC–MS/MS method for simultaneous determination of seven alkaloids from Rhizoma Corydalis Decumbentis in rabbit aqueous humor. Aqueous humor samples were processed by protein precipitation and then separated on a Thermo Syncronis C18 column (50 mm × 2.1 mm, 5 μm) with a mobile phase using acetonitrile-0.05% formic acid (28:72, v/v). Detection of the analytes and the internal standard (coptisine) were performed in positive electrospray ionization with selected reaction monitoring. The method showed good linearity (r > 0.9931) for all the seven alkaloids. This fully validated method was applied to the studies of aqueous humor pharmacokinetics of seven alkaloids from Rhizoma Corydalis Decumbentis and the effects of borneol on corneal penetration of these alkaloids into aqueous humor. This is the first work that presents a reliable LC–MS/MS method for simultaneous determination of seven alkaloids in rabbit aqueous humor and its application of ocular pharmacokinetics of seven alkaloids from Rhizoma Corydalis Decumbentis.

•An UHPLC–TOF/MS based plasma metabonomic method was established.•Metabolite disturbance after Alzheimer modelling and drug administration was studied.•19 potential biomarkers were discovered and identified including amino acids, carnitines, polyunsaturated fatty acids, sphingolipids and phospholipids.•An integrated outline of metabolic networks disturbance was also speculated in discussions.A metabonomic method was established to find potential biomarkers and study the metabolism disturbance in Alzheimer disease animal model. Total ginsenosides, as potential agent in neuroprotection and anti-inflammation, was also studied to learn the regulation mechanism to plasma metabolites in model animals.In experiment, amyloid beta 1–42 was occupied to form Alzheimer disease animal model. After drug administration, animals were evaluated by Morris water maze behavior test and sacrificed. Plasma samples were then analyzed using UHPLC–TOF/MS method to determine the endogenous metabolites.Behavior test results revealed that the spatial learning and memory abilities were deficit in model mice, and total ginsenosides could improve cognition abilities in dose-dependent manners. Principal component analysis showed that model and sham were divided into two groups, which means the metabolic network of mice was disturbed after modeling. Accordingly, 19 biomarkers were found and identified. In model group, the levels of proline, valine, tryptophan, LPC (14:0), LPC (15:0), LPC (15:1), LPC (17:0), LPC (18:2), LPC (18:3) and LPC (20:4) were up-regulated, while the levels of acetylcarnitine, palmitoylcarnitine, vaccenylcarnitine, phytosphingosine, N-eicosanoylethanolamine, hexadecenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, docosapentaenoic acid and octadecadienoic acid were down-regulated. The levels of these metabolites were recovered in different degrees after total ginsenosides administration. Combining with behavior study results, total ginsenosides could ameliorate both cognition symptoms and metabolic changes in model animals. This metabonomic approach provided a feasible way to understand the endogenous alterations of AD and to study the pharmacodynamic activity of novel agents.

•A new method based on one-step PPT combined with gradient LC–MS/MS was developed.•Simultaneous analysis of febuxostat and its metabolites in human plasma was achieved.•The method was validated and applied to pharmacokinetic study of febuxostat in humans.•The method provides advantages in terms of simplicity, high throughput and low cost.A rapid and sensitive liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) method for simultaneous determination of febuxostat and its three active metabolites in human plasma was developed using a ZORBAX SB-C18 column (50 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) and an optimized gradient mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile, water and formic acid. Plasma samples were spiked with the internal standard losartan and then pre-treated using one-step protein precipitation with methanol. Mass spectrometric detection was performed by selective reaction monitoring mode via electrospray ionization source operating in positive ionization mode. The method exhibited good linearity over the concentration range of 10–20,000 ng/mL for febuxostat, 1.0–270 ng/mL for 67M-1 and 67M-2, and 0.8–250 ng/mL for 67M-4, respectively. The intra- and inter-day precisions were less than 14.7% and the accuracy ranged from −4.3% to 5.1%. The method was successfully applied to a clinical pharmacokinetic study of febuxostat in humans after oral administration of a single dose of febuxostat at 40, 80 and 120 mg.

•The ex vivo stability of bilobalide was investigated for the first time.•Effective strategies to stabilize bilobalide in rat blood and plasma were developed.•An LC–MS/MS method for determining bilobalide in rat plasma was fully validated.•An LOQ of 5.0 ng/mL was achieved with consumption of only 20 μL of plasma.The ex vivo instability of bilobalide containing three γ-lactone rings has been paid less attention by researchers who developed bioanalytical methods for bilobalide. In the present study, a sensitive LC–MS/MS method for the determination of bilobalide in rat plasma was developed with special consideration of ex vivo bilobalide stability. Several important factors affecting the stability of bilobalide in sampling and handling procedures were investigated. To prevent the ex vivo degradation of bilobalide, EDTA instead of heparin was used as an anticoagulant as well as an esterase inhibitor for blood collection and the separation of plasma was performed at 4 °C. 20 μL of plasma sample was acidified with 0.1 M hydrochloric acid, and then extracted with ethyl ether–methylene chloride (2:1, v/v). The extract was chromatographed on a Thermo Hypersil GOLD (100 mm × 2.1 mm, 5 μm) column using acetonitrile–10 mM ammonium acetate–formic acid (90:10:0.4, v/v/v) as the mobile phase. The analyte and the internal standard (ginkgolide B) were detected by selected reaction monitoring mode via negative electrospray ionization. The method was fully validated and proved to be linear over a concentration range of 5.0–5000 ng/mL. The intra- and inter-day precisions were less than 5.2% and the accuracy was within 92.5–101%. The extraction recoveries ranged from 80.7% to 86.7%. The proposed method was successfully applied to a preclinical pharmacokinetic study of bilobalide in rats after intragastric administration of a single dose of bilobalide at 7, 14 and 28 mg/kg.

•Three glucuronide conjugates of scutellarein in rat plasma were quantified by LC–MS/MS.•Baseline separation of scutellarin and its isomer M2 was mandatory for quantification.•Pharmacokinetics of breviscapine in rats given a dose of 20 mg/kg was demonstrated.•A low bioavailability of scutellarin and high exposures of M1 and M2 were observed.A selective and sensitive LC–MS/MS method was developed and validated for simultaneous determination of three glucuronide conjugates of scutellarein in rat plasma. Plasma samples were pretreated by protein precipitation with acetonitrile. The analytes (scutellarin, scutellarein-6,7-di-O-β-d-glucuronide and scutellarein-6-O-β-d-glucuronide), together with internal standard (IS, baicalin) were separated on a Diamonsil C18 column (150 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) with an isocratic mobile phase consisting of methanol–water–formic acid (55:45:0.2, v/v/v). Mass spectrometric detection was performed by selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode via electrospray ionization source operating in negative ionization mode. The method was linear for all the analytes over the investigated concentration ranges with correlation coefficients greater than 0.9954. The intra- and inter-day precisions were less than 9.1% and the relative error was between −1.7% and 4.2%. The extraction recoveries of the analytes and IS from rat plasma were over 63%. The validated method has been successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study of breviscapine in rats after intragastric administration at a dose of 20 mg/kg. The pharmacokinetic results would be helpful to better understand the pharmacological actions of breviscapine.

Liquid chromatography–ion trap mass spectrometry was employed to investigate the metabolism of linarin in rats. Identification and structural elucidation of the metabolites were performed by comparing the differences in molecular masses, retention times, and full scan MSn spectra between linarin and its metabolites. Six metabolites (acacetin, apigenin, acacetin glucuronide, apigenin glucuronide, acacetin sulfate, apigenin sulfate) were detected in rat urine after oral administration of linarin at the dose of 50 mg kg−1. Furthermore, a selective and sensitive liquid chromatography–triple quadruple mass spectrometry assay was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of linarin and acacetin (the major metabolite of linarin) in rat urine. Chromatographic separation was carried out on a C18 column, and mass spectrometric detection was performed using a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer coupled with an electrospray ionization source in the positive ion mode. Quantitation of linarin and acacetin was performed using selected reaction monitoring of precursor–product ion transitions at m/z 593 → 285 for linarin, 285 → 242 for acacetin, and 303 → 153 for hesperitin (internal standard), respectively. The assay exhibited good linearity (r > 0.9900) for both linarin and acacetin. The intra- and inter-day precisions were <13.4 % and the accuracy was between −8.1 and 3.1 %. The method was successfully applied to the urinary excretion study of linarin in rats after oral administration of linarin.

WJ-38 is an aldose reductase inhibitor that is being developed for the treatment of diabetic complications. The present paper describes a sensitive and specific liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for the determination of WJ-38 in rat plasma. Partial denaturation of plasma proteins with methanol followed by liquid–liquid extraction using ethyl acetate was used to extract strongly protein-bound WJ-38 from rat plasma. Chromatographic separation was performed on an Inertsil ODS-3 column with an isocratic mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile, water and formic acid (75:25:0.125, v/v/v). Mass spectrometric detection was achieved by a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer equipped with an ESI interface operating in positive ionization mode. Quantitation was performed using selected reaction monitoring of precursor-product ion transitions at m/z 392 → 246 for WJ-38 and m/z 446 → 321 for glipizide (internal standard). A linear calibration curve was obtained over the concentration range of 10.0–10,000 ng/mL for WJ-38 in rat plasma. The intra- and inter-day precisions were less than 13.6% and the accuracy was within ±5.3%. The extraction recovery of WJ-38 from rat plasma was over 66.0%. The validated method has been successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study in rats after intragastrical administration of WJ-38.Highlights► WJ-38 is a potent aldose reductase inhibitor for diabetic complications. ► It is a strongly protein-bound compound (over 97% was bound to plasma proteins). ► A sensitive and specific LC–MS/MS method was developed for WJ-38 analysis. ► Special emphasis was focused on the effective extraction of WJ-38 from rat plasma. ► The chromatographic run time was 3.5 min and the LLOQ was 10.0 ng/mL.