Characterization of the Constituents Absorbed in Rats After Oral Administration of Fructus Gardeniae Effective Fraction

Abstract

Fructus gardeniae (Chinese herbal name is Zhi Zi) is widely used as a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for treating various diseases. The research discovered the iridoid glycosides that extracted and isolated from fructus gardeniae have antiviral activity. However, its bioactive constituents have remained unknown. In the present study, a systematic method based on high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HPLC-MSn) techniques was developed to identify the absorbed constituents in rats after oral administration of target fraction. By comparing their MS data with those of authentic compounds and published data, a total of five compounds [deacetyl asperulosidic methyl ester (1); gardenoside (2); scandoside methyl ester (3); genipin gentiobioside (4) and geniposide(5)] were identified in the target fraction. In addition, we identified five iridoid glucosides and one of their metabolite in rat urine samples, four iridoid glucosides and one of their metabolite in rat serum samples after administration, respectively. This provides an accurate profile of the composition of bioactive compounds responsible for the antiinfluenza properties and builds a solid bottom for future research on its mechanism.