Combination of a biopharmaceutic classification system and physiologically based pharmacokinetic models to predict absorption properties of baicalein in vitro and in vivo

Objective: To determine the in vitro and in vivo absorption properties of active ingredients of the Chinese medicine, baicalein, to enrich mechanistic understanding of oral drug absorption.Methods: The Biopharmaceutic Classification System(BCS) category was determined using equilibrium solubility, intrinsic dissolution rate, and intestinal permeability to evaluate intestinal absorption mechanisms of baicalein in rats in vitro. Physiologically based pharmacokinetic(PBPK) model commercial software GastroPlus~(TM) was used to predict oral absorption of baicalein in vivo.Results: Based on equilibrium solubility, intrinsic dissolution rate, and permeability values of main absorptive segments in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum, baicalein was classified as a drug with low solubility and high permeability. Intestinal perfusion with venous sampling(IPVS) revealed that baicalein was extensively metabolized in the body, which corresponded to the low bioavailability predicted by the PBPK model. Further, the PBPK model predicted the key indicators of BCS, leading to reclassification as BCS-II. Predicted values of peak plasma concentration of the drug(C_(max)) and area under the curve(AUC)fell within two times of the error of the measured results, highlighting the superior prediction of absorption of baicalein in rats, beagles, and humans. The PBPK model supported in vitro and in vivo evidence and provided excellent prediction for this BCS class II drug.Conclusion: BCS and PBPK are complementary methods that enable comprehensive research of BCS parameters, intestinal absorption rate, metabolism, prediction of human absorption fraction and bioavailability, simulation of PK, and drug absorption in various intestinal segments across species. This combined approach may facilitate a more comprehensive and accurate analysis of the absorption characteristics of active ingredients of Chinese medicine from in vitro and in vivo perspectives.

Laminaria japonica increases plasma exposure of glycyrrhetinic acid following oral administration of Liquorice extract in rats

The present study was designed to investigate the effects of Laminaria japonica(Laminaria) on pharmacokinetics of glycyrrhetinic acid(GA) following oral administration of Liquorice extract in rats.Following oral administrations of single-dose and multi-dose Liquorice extract and Liquorice-Laminaria extract,respectively,plasma samples were obtained at various times and the concentrations of GA,liquiritigenin,and isoliquiritigenin were measured by LC-MS.The effects of Laminaria extract on pharmacokinetics of GA were also investigated,following single-dose and multidose of glycyrrhizic acid(GL).The effects of Laminaria extract on intestinal absorption of GA and GL were studied using the in situ single-pass intestinal perfusion model.The metabolism of GL to GA in the contents of small and large intestines was also studied.The results showed Liquorice-Laminaria extract markedly increased the plasma concentration of GA,accompanied by a shorter Tmax.Similar alteration was observed following multidose administration.However,pharmacokinetics of neither liquiritigenin nor isoliquiritigenin was affected by Laminaria.Similarly,Laminaria markedly increased concentration and decreased Tmax of GA following oral GL were observed.The data from the intestinal perfusion model showed that Laminaria markedly increased GL absorption in duodenum and jejunum,but did not affect the intestinal absorption of GA.It was found that Laminaria enhanced the metabolism of GL to GA in large intestine.In conclusion,Laminaria increased plasma exposures of GA following oral administration of liquorice or GL,which partly resulted from increased intestinal absorption of GL and metabolism of GL to GA in large intestine.