HPLC determination of four triterpenoids in rat urine after oral administration of total triterpenoids from Ganoderma lucidum

A sensitive and simple high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was applied for the quantitative determination of four major triterpenoids (ganoderic acids C2, B, K and H) in rat urine after oral administration of total triterpenoids from Ganoderma lucidum. The urine sample was extracted with dichloromethane–ethyl acetate (90:10) after acidification by hydrochloric acid (0.2 mol/ml). Chromatographic separation was achieved on a Zorbax SB-C18 column (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) at 35 °C, with a linear gradient of acetonitrile and 0.03% aqueous phosphoric acid (v/v), at a flow rate of 1.2 ml/min. The four triterpenoids and internal standard (hydrocortisone) were detected at a wavelength 252 nm. The within- and between-day assay coefficients of variation for the four triterpenoids in urine were less than 9% and the extraction recovery of this method was higher than 90%. Using this method, the excretion profile of the triterpenoids in rat urine after oral administration of total triterpenoids of G. lucidum was revealed for the first time.