Pharmacokinetics of catechols in human subjects intravenously receiving XueBiJing injection, an emerging antiseptic herbal medicine

XueBiJing injection, prepared from a five-herb combination, is extensively used as add-on therapy in routine sepsis care in China. Catechols, derived from the component herb Salvia miltiorrhiza roots (Danshen), are probably important because of their reported antiseptic properties. This study was designed to characterize pharmacokinetics of major circulating Danshen catechols in human subjects intravenously receiving the injection at the label doses. A total of 17 Danshen catechols were detected in XueBiJing injection (content level, 0.1–139.3 μmol/L). After dosing, tanshinol and salvianolic acid B exhibited relatively high levels of systemic exposure with mean elimination half-lives of 0.38 and 0.29 h, respectively. The total plasma clearance and apparent volume of distribution at steady state of tanshinol were 1.07 L/h/kg and 0.40 L/kg, respectively, whereas those of salvianolic acid B were 0.43 L/h/kg and 0.13 L/kg, respectively. Protocatechuic acid and five other catechols were also detected in plasma but at low exposure levels. Although protocatechuic aldehyde had the highest content level in the injection, like the remaining eight catechols, it was undetected in plasma. Protocatechuic aldehyde was extensively converted into protocatechuic acid and other metabolites. The information gained here facilitates understanding the roles of Danshen catechols in therapeutic actions of XueBiJing injection.