UPLC-Q-TOF/MS-Based Metabolic Profiling Comparison of Two Major Bioactive Components and Their Metabolites in Normal and CKD Rat Plasma, Urine and Feces Following Oral Administration of Fructus Corni Extract.

Abstract

Fructus Corni has been used for nourishing liver and kidney in clinical practice for many years. However, the in vivo integrated metabolism profile of its bioactive components remains unknown. In the present study, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry coupled with the MetaboLynxTM software was established for screening and identification of the metabolites of the loganin and the morroniside in normal and chronic kidney disease (CKD) rat plasma, urine and feces after oral administration of Fructus Corni extract. The results showed that 11 metabolites including taurine and glucuronide conjugates, deglycosylated, dehydrated, (de)hydroxylated, (de)methylated, acetylated products were tentatively detected in normal rat samples while only eight metabolites were obtained in the model samples. Two parent compounds were both absorbed into the blood circulation of the normal and CKD rats. However, the compounds in the CKD rat showed lower metabolic capability. Few kinds and minor amounts of the metabolites were appeared in the CKD rat plasma, urine and feces. While considerable amounts of the parent compounds were detected in the CKD plasma. This helped maintain a high blood drug concentration which might be beneficial for the treatment of CKD. These results will be helpful for the further investigation of the pharmacokinetic study of Fructus Corni in vivo.