Separation and simultaneous quantification of nine furanocoumarins from Radix Angelicae dahuricae using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry for bioavailability determination in rats

Radix Angelicae dahuricae is a well-known medicinal herb in a number of herb preparations for medical uses. In this study, a rapid and selective method using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry was developed for the separation and simultaneous quantitation of nine furanocoumarins from Radix A. dahuricae, namely imperatorin, isoimperatorin, oxypeucedanin hydrate, bergapten, oxypeucedanin, xanthotoxol, xanthotoxin, isopimpinellin, and psoralen. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a CAPCELL PAK MG II C18 analytical column. Detection was performed using positive electrospray ion source in the multiple reaction monitoring mode. The method was fully validated for analyzing these principles in rat plasma with a lower limit of quantification from 0.5 to 5 ng/mL. The intra- and interbatch precisions were less than 10%, and the accuracies ranged from -7.5 to 8.0%. The extraction recovery of the analytes was above 70% without a significant matrix effect. The method was used to determine the oral and intravenous pharmacokinetic profiles of these furanocoumarins after dosing with Radix A. dahurica extract. The bioavailability of these furanocoumarins ranged from 10.1 to 82.8%. These data provide critical information for a better understanding of the pharmacological mechanisms and herb-drug interaction potential of Radix A. dahurica.