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Planta Med 2008; 74(14): 1684-1692
DOI: 10.1055/s-0028-1088309
Original Paper
Pharmacology
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Identification and Comparison of Metabolites After Oral Administration of Essential Oil of Ligusticum chuanxiong or its Major Constituent Ligustilide in Rats

Chunguang Ding1 , Yuxin Sheng1 , Yinghao Zhang1 , Jinlan Zhang1 , Guanhua Du1
  • 1Institute of Materia Media, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, P. R. China
Further Information

Publication History

Received: November 12, 2007 Revised: June 26, 2008

Accepted: July 25, 2008

Publication Date:
24 October 2008 (online)

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Abstract

The rhizome of Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort. is a well-known traditional Chinese medicinal herb that is widely used to treat various vascular diseases. The aims of this study were to identify and compare the metabolites in rats after the oral administration of the essential oil of Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort. or its major constituent ligustilide monomer, and to explore the differences in the metabolism of the main active constituent monomer and the active constituent group. High-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection was used to analyze the metabolites in the urine, feces, and bile of rats dosed with the essential oil or ligustilide. We observed clear differences in the metabolism of the essential oil and ligustilide. The other chemical constituents in the essential oil influenced the metabolism of the main active constituent monomer. Four metabolites in urine were separated, purified, and identified as 6,7-dihydro-6,7-dihydroxyligustilide (M1), 3,5-dihydroxy-3-butylphthalide (M2), 6,7-dihydro-6-hydroxy-7-sulfmethylligustilide (M3), and 5-hydroxy-3-butylidenephthalide (M4) by FT-ICR-MS and 1H-NMR. M2 and M3 are novel metabolites. Based on the profiles of these metabolites, the pathway of ligustilide metabolism in rats is proposed.

Abbreviations

FTICR:Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance

M1:metabolite 1

M2:metabolite 2

M3:metabolite 3

M4:metabolite 4

TCM:traditional Chinese medicine

Key words

Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort. - Umbelliferae - essential oil - ligustilide - metabolism - FT-ICR-MS

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Prof. Dr. Zhang Jinlan

Institute of Materia Media

Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College

1# Xian Nong Tan Street

Beijing 100050

People′s Republic of China

Phone: +86-10-8315-4880

Fax: +86-10-6301-7757

Email: zhjl@imm.ac.cn

    www.thieme-connect.de/ejournals/toc/plantamedica