Study on pharmacokinetics of 3,4-divanillyltetrahydrofuran in rats by ultra-fast liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

• An UFLC–MS/MS method was developed to determine 3,4-divanillyltetrahydrofuran in rat plasma.
• The developed method is sensitive and accurate with a high throughput.
• The pharmacokinetic study of 3,4-divanillyltetrahydrofuran is reported for the first time.

3,4-Divanillyltetrahydrofuran is the main active ingredient of nettle root which can increase steroid hormones in the bloodstream for many of bodybuilders. To better understand its pharmacological activities, we need to determine its pharmacokinetic profiles. In this study, a rapid and sensitive ultra-fast liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UFLC–MS/MS) method has been developed for the determination of 3,4-divanillyltetrahydrofuran in the plasma of rats. Chromatographic separation was performed on a C18 column at 40 °C, with a gradient elution consisting of methanol and water containing 0.3% (v/v) formic acid at a flow rate of 0.8 mL/min. The detection was performed using an electrospray triple-quadrupole MS/MS via positive ion multiple reaction monitoring mode. The lower limits-of-quantification determined were 0.5 ng/mL. The intra- and inter-day precision (RSD%) was found to be within 15% and the accuracy (RE%) ranged from −4.0% to 7.0%. This simple yet sensitive method was fully validated and could be successfully applied to the study on pharmacokinetics of 3, 4-divanillyltetrahydrofuran.