In Vivo Pharmacokinetic Analysis Utilizing Non-Targeted and Targeted Mass Spectrometry and In Vitro Assay against Transient Receptor Potential Channels of Maobushisaishinto and Its Constituent Asiasari Radix

Synthesis and Bioactivities of Novel Piperonylic Acid Derivatives Containing a Sulfonic Acid Ester Moiety

The crop loss caused by bacteria has increased year by year due to the lack of effective control agents. In order to develop efficient, broad-spectrum, and structurally simple agricultural bactericide, the structure of piperonylic acid was modified and a series of novel piperonylic acid derivatives containing a sulfonic acid ester moiety was synthesized. Bioassay results indicated the compounds exhibited significantly antibacterial activities. Among them, compound 41 exhibited excellent antibacterial activities against Pseudomonas syringae pv. Actinidiae (Psa), with inhibitory value 99 and 85% at 100 μg/ml and 50 μg/ml, respectively, which was higher than that of thiodiazole-copper (84 and 77%) and bismerthiazol (96 and 78%). In addition, some compounds also showed moderate insecticidal activity against Spodoptera frugiperda. The abovementioned results confirm the broadening of the application of piperonylic acid, with reliable support for the development of novel agrochemical bactericide.

Pharmacokinetic study of Ninjin'yoeito: Absorption and brain distribution of Ninjin'yoeito ingredients in mice

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Ninjin'yoeito (NYT), a Japanese traditional Kampo medicine, has been reported to exert various clinical benefits such as relief from fatigue, malaise, anorexia, frailty, sarcopenia, and cognitive dysfunction. Recently, some review articles described the pharmacological effects of NYT and additionally indicated the possibility that multiple ingredients in NYT contribute to these effects. However, pharmacokinetic data on the ingredients are essential in addition to data on their pharmacological activities to accurately determine the active ingredients in NYT.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study assessed the in vivo pharmacokinetics of NYT using mice.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Target liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and wide target LC-MS or LC-tandem MS of NYT ingredients in plasma and the brain after oral administration of NYT were performed. Imaging MS was performed to investigate the detailed brain distributions of NYT ingredients.

RESULTS

The concentrations of 13 ingredients in plasma and schizandrin in the brain were quantified via target LC-MS, and the wide target analysis illustrated that several ingredients are absorbed into blood and transported into the brain. Imaging MS revealed that schizandrin was homogenously dispersed in the NYT-treated mouse brain.

CONCLUSION

These results should be useful for clarifying the active ingredients of NYT and their mechanisms of actions.

Pharmacokinetic study of traditional Japanese Kampo medicine shimotsuto used to treat gynecological diseases in rats

Abstract

Shimotsuto is a traditional Japanese Kampo medicine used to treat gynecological diseases, such as irregular menstruation, in addition to oversensitivity to cold and chilblains. Part of the pharmacological actions of shimotsuto is traditionally considered to be exerted by an improvement effect of the blood and the circulatory system. Multiple ingredients (e.g., catalpol and paeoniflorin) contained in shimotsuto have been reported to have pharmacological activities on the blood and circulatory system, and thus been considered to contribute to the pharmacological actions of shimotsuto. However, it remains unclear whether the ingredients can be absorbed into the body following oral administration of shimotsuto. The aim in the present study was to specify shimotsuto ingredient absorbed into the systemic circulation in rats. Seven candidate active ingredients (catalpol, paeoniflorin, albiflorin, ligustilide, senkyunolide A, butylphthalide, and ferulic acid) in plasma after oral administration of shimotsuto were quantified by targeted liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) analysis. This study also performed nontargeted LC–MS/MS analysis of plasma following administration of constituent crude drugs of shimotsuto to find extensively blood-absorbed ingredients of shimotsuto. Among detected peaks in the nontargeted analysis, two peaks could be identified as bergapten and 8-debenzoylpaeoniflorin, subsequently their concentrations in shimotsuto-treated rat plasma were quantified. These pharmacokinetic studies indicated that catalpol showed the highest plasma concentration following administration of shimotsuto, followed by 8-debenzoylpaeoniflorin. This study suggests that all nine ingredients are absorbed into the blood following oral administration of shimotsuto and possibly contribute to its pharmacological action.

Graphic abstract

Supplementary Information

The online version of this article (10.1007/s11418-020-01474-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.