Studies on the comparative pharmacokinetic of three phenolic acids of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge in normal and hyperlipidemic rats by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

The hydrophilic phenolic acid is the main component of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge against cardiovascular diseases.A validated and sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(LC-MS/MS)method was established to simultaneously determinate three phenolic acids(danshensu,protocatechuic acid and rosmarinic acid)in rats to investigate their pharmacokinetic profiles firstly.The values for limit of quantification were in range of 0.25-1.25μg/L.Meanwhile,the suitable intra-day and inter-day precision as well as extraction recoveries were also obtained.And such an established method was finally successfully applied to compare the pharmacokinetic behaviors of three phenolic acids in normal and hyperlipidemic rats after oral administration of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge.The results showed there were significant differences in pharmacokinetic parameters between normal and hyperlipidemic groups.In especial,the plasma level of three phenolic acids in hyperlipidemic groups was significantly higher than normal ones.This comparative pharmacokinetic study provided direct evidence for improving clinical rational use of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge.