Hollow fiber based liquidp hase microextraction combined with high-performance liquid chromatography for study of the pharmacokineticsof berberine in rat plasma

Abstract

Objective A new hollow fiber liquid phase microextraction combined with high-performance liquid chromatography was developed to determine the concentration of berberine in rat plasma. Methods Parameters that affect the hollow fiber liquid phase microextraction processes were investigated and optimized. The optimized conditions were pH of donor and acceptor phases 12 and 2.0, respectively; extraction time 20 min; stirring speed 800 rpm; and addition of 10 % (w/v) salt. Under the optimized conditions, the preconcentration factor for berberine was 347. Moreover, a rapid and sensitive method was developed to determine berberine in rat plasma by HPLC. Results The calibration curve for berberine was linear in the range of 10-1000 ng/ml (r2≥0.9992). The limit of quantitation for the analyte was 10 ng/ml (S/N=10). The limit of detection for the analyte was 3.3 ng/ml (S/N=3). The intra-day and inter-day precision, and stability (RSD) were less than 6.3%. The average recovery was 96.7% ± 3.82%, and RSD was 4.82%. Conclusions The method is efficient, green, accurate and repeatable. It can be applied in determination of berberine in rat plasma. Key words: Berberine; Hollowfiber liquid phase microextraction; Chromatography, high pressure liquid