Pharmacokinetic characteristics of ferulic acid in patients with different syndromes of deficiency of spleen qi, stagnation of liver qi and spleen deficiency, and excess of stomach heat

Abstract

To investigate the nature of syndrome of traditional Chinese medicine by means of pharmacokinetic (PK) method. Twenty-one healthy volunteers, 20 patients with syndrome of stagnation of liver qi and spleen deficiency, 22 patients with syndrome of deficiency of spleen qi and 19 patients with syndrome of excess of stomach heat were included and administered to take Jiawei Xiaoyaosan Recipe (JWXYSR). The serum PK parameters of ferulic acid (FA) were examined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. The absorption rate constant (alpha) and the elimination rate constant (beta) were both decreased while the apparent first-order absorption constant (K(a)) was enhanced significantly in the patients with syndrome of deficiency of spleen qi; the alpha, beta and Ka were all reduced in the patients with syndrome of stagnation of liver qi and spleen deficiency; the beta and K(a) were increased in the patients with syndrome of excess of stomach heat, as compared with the corresponding PK parameters in the healthy volunteers (P<0.01). The PK analysis of FA in the patients with syndrome of deficiency of spleen qi shows that the absorption rate is accelerated, and both the distribution and elimination rates are slowed down. The absorption, distribution and elimination rates of AF are all slowed down in the patients with syndrome of stagnation of liver-qi and spleen deficiency, while the absorption and elimination rates of AF are both accelerated in the patients with syndrome of excess of stomach heat. There are obvious differences in the PK characteristics among these three syndromes.