Metabolism characterization and chemical and plasma stability of casearin B and caseargrewiin F.

Abstract

Oral preparations of Casearia sylvestris (guacatonga) are used as antacid, analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antiulcerogenic activities. The clerodane diterpenes casearin B (cas B) and caseargrewiin F (casg F) are major active compounds in vitro and in vivo. The oral bioavailability and metabolism of cas B and casg F were not previously investigated. We aimed to assess the stability of cas B and casg F in physiological conditions and their metabolism in human liver microsomes (HLM). The compounds were identified by UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS and quantified by validated LC-MS methods. The stability of cas B and casg F in physiological conditions was assessed in vitro. Both diterpenes showed a fast degradation (p < 0.05) in simulated gastric fluid. Their metabolism is not mediated by cytochrome P-450 enzymes, but the depletion was inhibited by the esterase inhibitor NaF. Both diterpenes and their dialdehydes showed log P in the range of 3.6 to 4.0, suggesting high permeability. Metabolism kinetic data were fitted to the Michaelis-Menten profile with KM values of 61.4 μM and 66.4 μM and Vmax values of 327 and 648 nmol/min/mg of protein for cas B and casg F, respectively. Metabolism parameters in HLM were extrapolated to predict human hepatic clearance and suggest that casg F and cas B have a high hepatic extraction ratio. In conclusion, our data suggest that casg F and cas B present low oral bioavailability due to extensive gastric degradation and high hepatic extraction.