{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,21]],"date-time":"2025-10-21T15:53:40Z","timestamp":1761062020211,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":32,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"21","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,25]],"date-time":"2024-10-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1729814400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001809","name":"National Natural Science Foundation of China","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["82074119","kfkt202301","CYS23221"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["82074119","kfkt202301","CYS23221"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001809","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"name":"Opening Foundation of Chongqing Key Laboratory of High Active Traditional Chinese Drug Delivery System","award":["82074119","kfkt202301","CYS23221"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["82074119","kfkt202301","CYS23221"]}]},{"name":"Innovative Research Project for Postgraduate Students of Chongqing","award":["82074119","kfkt202301","CYS23221"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["82074119","kfkt202301","CYS23221"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Molecules"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Pterocephin A is a natural triterpenoid saponin isolated from Pterocephalus hookeri, a traditional Tibetan medicine with slight toxicity, which can induce liver injury in rats. This study aimed to establish a sensitive and reliable UPLC-MS\/MS method for exploring the toxicokinetics and tissue distribution of pterocephin A following single intravenous and intragastric administration. Pterocephin A and prosapogenin 1C (internal standard, IS) were extracted using a simple protein precipitation technique with methanol as the precipitant for plasma samples and methanol\/acetonitrile = 1:1 (v\/v) for tissue samples. UPLC separation was achieved by gradient elution with 0.3 mL\/min and a mobile phase consisting of 5 mM ammonium formate (A) and acetonitrile (B) (0\u20132 min 30% B; 2\u20134 min: 30\u201380% B; 4\u20135 min: 80\u201398% B; 5\u20136.5 min: 98% B; 6.5\u20137 min: 98\u201330% B; and 7\u20138 min: 30% B, v\/v) with a column temperature of 35 \u00b0C. MS spectrometry adopted negative ion scanning mode, primary MS spectrometry adopted full scan monitoring mode, and secondary MS spectrometry adopted targeted MS2 scan monitoring mode. The assay exhibited a linear dynamic range of 0.02\u201315 \u03bcg\/mL for pterocephin A in biological samples, with the low limit of quantification set at 0.02 \u03bcg\/mL. Non-compartmental toxicokinetic parameters indicated that pterocephin A was well absorbed into the systemic circulation and had a long residual time after intravenous (10 mg\/kg) and intragastric (60 mg\/kg) administration, as it could still be detected after 72 h. Tissue distribution analysis revealed detectable levels of pterocephin A in various tissues, and a high concentration was maintained in the liver after intravenous (10 mg\/kg) administration, with the highest concentration being 610.95 \u00b1 25.73 ng\/mL and a specific distribution pattern of liver &gt; lung &gt; kidney &gt; intestine &gt; spleen &gt; testes &gt; heart &gt; stomach. The toxicokinetic process and tissue distribution characteristics of pterocephin A were expounded in this study, which can provide relevant data support for further research and clinical application of pterocephin A with its slight toxicity.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/molecules29215044","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,25]],"date-time":"2024-10-25T08:42:13Z","timestamp":1729845733000},"page":"5044","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Toxicokinetics and Tissue Distribution of the Hepatotoxic Triterpenoid Saponin Pterocephin A in Rats Using the Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography\u2013Tandem Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-MS\/MS) Method"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"29","author":[{"given":"Yiran","family":"Xiong","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Chongqing Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening from Traditional Chinese Medicine, Integrative Science, Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (Chongqing) Science City & Southwest University, SWU-TAAHC Medicinal Plant Joint R&D Centre, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China"},{"name":"Chongqing Key Laboratory of High Active Traditional Chinese Drug Delivery System, Chongqing Medical and Pharmaceutical College, Chongqing 401331, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7462-7688","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Zhaoyue","family":"Dong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Chongqing Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening from Traditional Chinese Medicine, Integrative Science, Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (Chongqing) Science City & Southwest University, SWU-TAAHC Medicinal Plant Joint R&D Centre, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4291-4970","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hongxu","family":"Zhou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Chongqing Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening from Traditional Chinese Medicine, Integrative Science, Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (Chongqing) Science City & Southwest University, SWU-TAAHC Medicinal Plant Joint R&D Centre, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China"},{"name":"Chongqing Institute for Food and Drug Control, Chongqing 401120, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2813-1702","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jingxin","family":"Mao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Chongqing Key Laboratory of High Active Traditional Chinese Drug Delivery System, Chongqing Medical and Pharmaceutical College, Chongqing 401331, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Lingjiang","family":"Zeng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (Chongqing) Science City & Southwest University, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3114-5021","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yunbin","family":"Jiang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Chongqing Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening from Traditional Chinese Medicine, Integrative Science, Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (Chongqing) Science City & Southwest University, SWU-TAAHC Medicinal Plant Joint R&D Centre, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Fancheng","family":"Meng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Chongqing Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening from Traditional Chinese Medicine, Integrative Science, Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (Chongqing) Science City & Southwest University, SWU-TAAHC Medicinal Plant Joint R&D Centre, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1283-4649","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Zhihua","family":"Liao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (Chongqing) Science City & Southwest University, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0140-4192","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Min","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Chongqing Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening from Traditional Chinese Medicine, Integrative Science, Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (Chongqing) Science City & Southwest University, SWU-TAAHC Medicinal Plant Joint R&D Centre, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China"},{"name":"Chongqing Key Laboratory of High Active Traditional Chinese Drug Delivery System, Chongqing Medical and Pharmaceutical College, Chongqing 401331, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Chinese Pharmacopoeia Commission (2020). 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