An ultra-pressure liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method for the simultaneous determination of three physalins in rat plasma and its application to pharmacokinetic study of Physalis alkekengi var. franchetii (Chinese lantern) in rats

An ultra-high pressure liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC–MS/MS) method was developed for the quantification of three major ingredients in Chinese lantern preparations (CLP) in rat plasma. Following extraction by ethyl acetate, the analytes were separated on an Acquity UPLC BEH Shield RP C18 column using a gradient mobile phase system of acetonitrile–water. Electrospray ionization (ESI) tandem interface was employed prior to mass spectrometric detection. The calibration curves were linear over the range of 5.0–500.0 ng/ml for physalin D, 2.3–230.0 ng/ml for physalin G and 0.71–71.0 ng/ml for 4,7-didehydroneophysalin B. The average extraction recoveries, examined at four concentration levels, carried from 57.1% to 76.9%, and the accuracies ranged from 94.0% to 113.3% with precision (RSD) <15%. The validated method was successfully applied to the determination of the three physalins in rat plasma after intragastric administration of CLP suspension.

► Development of a new UPLC–MS/MS method to simultaneous determination of three physalins of Chinese lantern in biological matrix.
► Successfully application of the method to the determination of the three physalins in rat plasma, and we found that the three physalins have similar absorption and elimination behavior.
► This study will be useful to preliminary presume other physalins’ pharmacokinetic properties, and to promote the efficacy and safety of Chinese lantern and to avoid its adverse effects.