Chromatographic retention of drug molecules on immobilised liposomes prepared from egg phospholipids and from chemically pure phospholipids

Liposomal Copermeation Assay Reveals Unexpected Membrane Interactions of Commonly Prescribed Drugs

The permeation of small molecules across biological membranes is a crucial process that lies at the heart of life. Permeation is involved not only in the maintenance of homeostasis at the cell level but also in the absorption and biodistribution of pharmacologically active substances throughout the human body. Membranes are formed by phospholipid bilayers that represent an energy barrier for permeating molecules. Crossing this energy barrier is assumed to be a singular event, and permeation has traditionally been described as a first-order kinetic process, proportional only to the concentration gradient of the permeating substance. For a given membrane composition, permeability was believed to be a unique property dependent only on the permeating molecule itself. We provide experimental evidence that this long-held view might not be entirely correct. Liposomes were used in copermeation experiments with a fluorescent probe, where simultaneous permeation of two substances occurred over a single phospholipid bilayer. Using an assay of six commonly prescribed drugs, we have found that the presence of a copermeant can either enhance or suppress the permeation rate of the probe molecule, often more than 2-fold in each direction. This can have significant consequences for the pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of commonly prescribed drugs when used in combination and provide new insight into so-far unexplained drug-drug interactions as well as changing the perspective on how new drug candidates are evaluated and tested.

Potential of liposomes and lipid membranes for the separation of β-blockers by capillary electromigration and liquid chromatographic techniques

β-Blockers belong to a frequently used class of drugs primarily used to treat heart and circulatory conditions. Here we describe the use of lipid vesicles and liposomes as cell membrane biomimicking models in capillary electromigration (CE) and liquid chromatography (LC) techniques for the investigation of interactions between lipid membranes and β-blockers. In addition to liposomes, the use of commercial intravenous lipid emulsions, and their interactions with β-blockers are also discussed. Different CE and LC instrumental techniques designed for these purposes are introduced. Other methodologies for studying interactions between β-blockers and lipid membranes are also briefly discussed, and the different methodologies are compared. The aim is to give the reader a good overview on the status of the use of liposomes and lipids in CE and LC for studying β-blocker interactions.

Photolysis of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug sulindac: elucidation of kinetic behaviour and photodegradation pathways in water

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are recognized widely as emerging contaminants. Sulindac has received additional attention as a prodrug in cancer treatment and because of its detection in drinking water and wastewaters. Nevertheless, there is limited knowledge about its kinetic behaviour and fate in the aquatic environment. In this work, the direct photolysis of sulindac, in which photochemical reactions were monitored and phototransformation products identified, was investigated under prolonged periods using UV-A and UV-B radiation and pH conditions (2 and 7) to evaluate the effect of the protonation state and the efficiency of the photolytic process. A novel kinetic mechanism has been proposed in which sulindac exhibits a consecutive reaction pathway, with pseudo-first order kinetics for rapid and reversible Z to E isomerization. Once photoequilibrium was reached, second-order degradation of the isomers in the presence of the new photodegradation products was observed. Photochemical transformation was faster under UV-B irradiation and lower pH, which suggests greater persistence of sulindac at more relevant environmental conditions of UV-A and pH 7. Two novel and major byproducts were identified, corresponding to the oxidative cleavage of the alkene exo to the indene system. The degradation pathway is mainly photoinduced, enhanced by acidic conditions and presumes the double bond as the most reactive site for the parent compound. This research demonstrates an approach for determining kinetics of compounds under challenging conditions, including, absorption from multiple electronic transitions, photoinduced products with unknown extinction coefficients, concentration dependence, photoinduced sensitizing intermediates, and speciation effects. Our work greatly improves our understanding of the degradation process of sulindac and will contribute to exposure assessments and treatment methodologies for this compound in impacted waters.

Drug Penetration into the Central Nervous System: Pharmacokinetic Concepts and In Vitro Model Systems

Delivery of most drugs into the central nervous system (CNS) is restricted by the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which remains a significant bottleneck for development of novel CNS-targeted therapeutics or molecular tracers for neuroimaging. Consistent failure to reliably predict drug efficiency based on single measures for the rate or extent of brain penetration has led to the emergence of a more holistic framework that integrates data from various in vivo, in situ and in vitro assays to obtain a comprehensive description of drug delivery to and distribution within the brain. Coupled with ongoing development of suitable in vitro BBB models, this integrated approach promises to reduce the incidence of costly late-stage failures in CNS drug development, and could help to overcome some of the technical, economic and ethical issues associated with in vivo studies in animal models. Here, we provide an overview of BBB structure and function in vivo, and a summary of the pharmacokinetic parameters that can be used to determine and predict the rate and extent of drug penetration into the brain. We also review different in vitro models with regard to their inherent shortcomings and potential usefulness for development of fast-acting drugs or neurotracers labeled with short-lived radionuclides. In this regard, a special focus has been set on those systems that are sufficiently well established to be used in laboratories without significant bioengineering expertise.

Predicting a Drug's Membrane Permeability: A Computational Model Validated With in Vitro Permeability Assay Data

Membrane permeability is a key property to consider during the drug design process, and particularly vital when dealing with small molecules that have intracellular targets as their efficacy highly depends on their ability to cross the membrane. In this work, we describe the use of umbrella sampling molecular dynamics (MD) computational modeling to comprehensively assess the passive permeability profile of a range of compounds through a lipid bilayer. The model was initially calibrated through in vitro validation studies employing a parallel artificial membrane permeability assay (PAMPA). The model was subsequently evaluated for its quantitative prediction of permeability profiles for a series of custom synthesized and closely related compounds. The results exhibited substantially improved agreement with the PAMPA data, relative to alternative existing methods. Our work introduces a computational model that underwent progressive molding and fine-tuning as a result of its synergistic collaboration with numerous in vitro PAMPA permeability assays. The presented computational model introduces itself as a useful, predictive tool for permeability prediction.

Research on drug-receptor interactions and prediction of drug activity via oriented immobilized receptor capillary electrophoresis

Oriented covalent immobilized β2 -adrenergic receptor (β2 -AR) CE (OIRCE) was developed to determine the interactions between a set of natural extracts of Radix Paeoniae Rubra (NERPR) and β2 -AR, and to predict the activity of NERPR. The inner capillary surface is chemically bonded with stable β2 -AR coating via microwave-assisted technical synthesis. The modified capillaries were characterized via infrared spectroscopy and fluorescence microscopy. Furthermore, the bonding amounts of β2 -AR were first obtained via fluorescence spectroscopy method. In determining the amount of bonded β2 -AR, the regression equation A  =  576 707C + 35.449 and the correlation coefficient 0.9995 were obtained. This result revealed an excellent linear relationship in the range of 2 × 10(-4)  mg/mL to 1 × 10(-3)  mg/mL. The normalized capacity factor (KRCE ) was obtained using OIRCE in evaluating drug-receptor interactions. Related theories and equations were used to calculate KRCE values from apparent migration times of a solute and EOF. The order of KRCE and the binding constant (Kb ) values between drugs and β2 -AR was well consistent. The results confirmed that the OIRCE and KRCE values can be effectually used to investigate drug-receptor interactions, and OIRCE has the potential to predict drug activity and to select leading compounds from natural chemicals.

A new PAMPA model using an in-house brain lipid extract for screening the blood-brain barrier permeability of drug candidates

The determination of the permeability of drug candidates across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a fundamental step during drug discovery programs. The parallel artificial membrane permeability assay (PAMPA) is a high throughput screening tool applied to evaluate the passive permeability and adapted to predict BBB penetration. Herein, a new PAMPA model was developed using an in-house brain lipid extract capable of discriminating BBB permeable from non-permeable compounds. The apparent permeability (Papp) of 18 reference molecules and 10 test compounds was assessed and compared with phosphatidylcholine and commercial porcine polar brain lipid (PBL). The physicochemical selectivity of the in-house brain lipid extract was demonstrated by correlating Papp values with physicochemical properties and its predictive capacity estimated by establishing in vitro-in vivo correlations. The strong correlations achieved between 2% (w/v) in-house lipid extract and PBL for reference (r(2)=0.77) and test compounds (r(2)=0.94) support an equivalent discriminatory capacity and validate the presented model. Moreover, PAMPA studies performed with PBL and in-house lipid extract exhibited a higher correlation with the in vivo parameter logBB (r(2)=0.76 and r(2)=0.72, respectively) than phosphatidylcholine (r(2)=0.51). Overall, the applied lipid extraction process was reproducible, economical and provided lipid extracts that can be used to reliably assess BBB permeation.

A method to predict blood-brain barrier permeability of drug-like compounds using molecular dynamics simulations

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is formed by specialized tight junctions between endothelial cells that line brain capillaries to create a highly selective barrier between the brain and the rest of the body. A major problem to overcome in drug design is the ability of the compound in question to cross the BBB. Neuroactive drugs are required to cross the BBB to function. Conversely, drugs that target other parts of the body ideally should not cross the BBB to avoid possible psychotropic side effects. Thus, the task of predicting the BBB permeability of new compounds is of great importance. Two gold-standard experimental measures of BBB permeability are logBB (the concentration of drug in the brain divided by concentration in the blood) and logPS (permeability surface-area product). Both methods are time-consuming and expensive, and although logPS is considered the more informative measure, it is lower throughput and more resource intensive. With continual increases in computer power and improvements in molecular simulations, in silico methods may provide viable alternatives. Computational predictions of these two parameters for a sample of 12 small molecule compounds were performed. The potential of mean force for each compound through a 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine bilayer is determined by molecular dynamics simulations. This system setup is often used as a simple BBB mimetic. Additionally, one-dimensional position-dependent diffusion coefficients are calculated from the molecular dynamics trajectories. The diffusion coefficient is combined with the free energy landscape to calculate the effective permeability (Peff) for each sample compound. The relative values of these permeabilities are compared to experimentally determined logBB and logPS values. Our computational predictions correlate remarkably well with both logBB (R(2) = 0.94) and logPS (R(2) = 0.90). Thus, we have demonstrated that this approach may have the potential to provide reliable, quantitatively predictive BBB permeability, using a relatively quick, inexpensive method.

New cationic antimicrobial peptide screened from boiled-dried anchovies by immobilized bacterial membrane liposome chromatography

An efficient immobilized bacterial membrane liposome chromatography method was used to screen potential antimicrobial peptides from boiled-dried anchovies. A novel cationic antimicrobial peptide (Apep10) was successfully isolated by one-step chromatography. The sequence of Apep10 was identified as GLARCLAGTL by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (MALDI-Q-TOF MS). The antimicrobial activity assessment indicated that Apep10 inhibited the growth of the reference bacteria (Escherichia coli, Shigella dysenteriae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, and Streptococcus pneumoniae), with minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ranging from 8 to 64 μg/mL. Almost no cytotoxicity against mouse erythrocytes was observed at concentrations below 20 μg/mL. Nucleotide leakage induced by Apep10 showed that the peptide exhibited permeable activity on the cytoplasmic membrane. Alterations in morphology were observed by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM). Membrane disruption was confirmed by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) with propidium iodide (PI). The results demonstrate that immobilized bacterial membrane liposome chromatography is a straightforward technique for screening unknown antimicrobial peptides with cell-membrane-interacting activities from boiled-dried anchovies.

Methodologies to assess drug permeation through the blood-brain barrier for pharmaceutical research

The drug discovery process for drugs that target the central nervous system suffers from a very high rate of failure due to the presence of the blood-brain barrier, which limits the entry of xenobiotics into the brain. To minimise drug failure at different stages of the drug development process, new methodologies have been developed to understand the absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity (ADMET) profile of drug candidates at early stages of drug development. Additionally, understanding the permeation of drug candidates is also important, particularly for drugs that target the central nervous system. During the first stages of the drug discovery process, in vitro methods that allow for the determination of permeability using high-throughput screening methods are advantageous. For example, performing the parallel artificial membrane permeability assay followed by cell-based models with interesting hits is a useful technique for identifying potential drugs. In silico models also provide interesting information but must be confirmed by in vitro models. Finally, in vivo models, such as in situ brain perfusion, should be studied to reduce a large number of drug candidates to a few lead compounds. This article reviews the different methodologies used in the drug discovery and drug development processes to determine the permeation of drug candidates through the blood-brain barrier.

Toward the establishment of standardized in vitro tests for lipid-based formulations, part 3: understanding supersaturation versus precipitation potential during the in vitro digestion of type I, II, IIIA, IIIB and IV lipid-based formulations

PURPOSE

Recent studies have shown that digestion of lipid-based formulations (LBFs) can stimulate both supersaturation and precipitation. The current study has evaluated the drug, formulation and dose-dependence of the supersaturation - precipitation balance for a range of LBFs.

METHODS

Type I, II, IIIA/B LBFs containing medium-chain (MC) or long-chain (LC) lipids, and lipid-free Type IV LBF incorporating different doses of fenofibrate or tolfenamic acid were digested in vitro in a simulated intestinal medium. The degree of supersaturation was assessed through comparison of drug concentrations in aqueous digestion phases (APDIGEST) during LBF digestion and the equilibrium drug solubility in the same phases.

RESULTS

Increasing fenofibrate or tolfenamic acid drug loads (i.e., dose) had negligible effects on LC LBF performance during digestion, but promoted drug crystallization (confirmed by XRPD) from MC and Type IV LBF. Drug crystallization was only evident in instances when the calculated maximum supersaturation ratio (SR(M)) was >3. This threshold SR(M) value was remarkably consistent across all LBF and was also consistent with previous studies with danazol.

CONCLUSIONS

The maximum supersaturation ratio (SR(M)) provides an indication of the supersaturation 'pressure' exerted by formulation digestion and is strongly predictive of the likelihood of drug precipitation in vitro. This may also prove effective in discriminating the in vivo performance of LBFs.

Correlation between octanol/water and liposome/water distribution coefficients and drug absorption of a set of pharmacologically active compounds

Absorption and consequent therapeutic action are key issues in the development of new drugs by the pharmaceutical industry. In this sense, different models can be used to simulate biological membranes to predict the absorption of a drug. This work compared the octanol/water and the liposome/water models. The parameters used to relate the two models were the distribution coefficients between liposomes and water and octanol and water and the fraction of drug orally absorbed. For this study, 66 drugs were collected from literature sources and divided into four groups according to charge and ionization degree: neutral; positively charged; negatively charged; and partially ionized/zwitterionic. The results show a satisfactory linear correlation between the octanol and liposome systems for the neutral (R²= 0.9324) and partially ionized compounds (R²= 0.9367), contrary to the positive (R²= 0.4684) and negatively charged compounds (R²= 0.1487). In the case of neutral drugs, results were similar in both models because of the high fraction orally absorbed. However, for the charged drugs (positively, negatively, and partially ionized/zwitterionic), the liposomal model has a more-appropriate correlation with absorption than the octanol model. These results show that the neutral compounds only interact with membranes through hydrophobic bonds, whereas charged drugs favor electrostatic interactions established with the liposomes. With this work, we concluded that liposomes may be a more-appropriate biomembrane model than octanol for charged compounds.

Biorelevant pK(a) (37 °C) predicted from the 2D structure of the molecule and its pK(a) at 25 °C

Values of the ionization constants at 37 °C, which are scarcely reported, are more meaningful for interpreting mechanisms of cellular transport by ionizable molecules and in mechanistic dissolution studies, which are often performed at the biorelevant temperature. An equation was developed where the pK(a) values of drug-like molecules determined at 25 °C can be simply converted to values at 37 °C, without additional measurement. The differences between the values, ΔpK(a)=pK(a)³⁷-pK(a)²⁵, were linearly fitted to a function of pK(a)²⁵ and the standard entropy of ionization, ΔS°, where the latter term was approximated by the five Abraham linear free energy solvation descriptors using multiple linear regression. The Abraham descriptors (H-bond donor and acceptor strengths, dipolar solute-solvent interactions potential, the pi- and n-electrons dispersion force, and molar volume) were determined from the 2-dimensional structure of the molecules. A total of 143 mostly drug-like molecules (207 pK(a) values at 25 °C and at 37 °C) were chosen for the study. The pK(a) values of many were determined here for the first time. Included were 34 weak acids, 85 weak bases, and 24 amphoteric compounds (6 ordinary ampholytes, 18 zwitterions).

pK(a) modelling and prediction of drug molecules through GA-KPLS and L-M ANN

Genetic algorithm and partial least square (GA-PLS), kernel PLS (GA-KPLS) and Levenberg- Marquardt artificial neural network (L-M ANN) techniques were used to investigate the correlation between dissociation constant (pK(a) ) and descriptors for 60 drug compounds. The applied internal (leave-group-out cross validation (LGO-CV)) and external (test set) validation methods were used for the predictive power of models. Descriptors of GA-KPLS model were selected as inputs in L-M ANN model. The results indicate that L-M ANN can be used as an alternative modeling tool for quantitative structure-property relationship (QSPR) studies.

Lipophilicity and its relationship with passive drug permeation

In this review, we first summarize the structure and properties of biological membranes and the routes of passive drug transfer through physiological barriers. Lipophilicity is then introduced in terms of the intermolecular interactions it encodes. Finally, lipophilicity indices from isotropic solvent systems and from anisotropic membrane-like systems are discussed for their capacity to predict passive drug permeation across biological membranes such as the intestinal epithelium, the blood-brain barrier (BBB) or the skin. The broad evidence presented here shows that beyond the predictive power of lipophilicity parameters, the various intermolecular forces they encode allow a mechanistic interpretation of passive drug permeation.

Physicochemical selectivity of the BBB microenvironment governing passive diffusion--matching with a porcine brain lipid extract artificial membrane permeability model

PURPOSE

To mimic the physicochemical selectivity of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and to predict its passive permeability using a PAMPA model based on porcine brain lipid extract (PBLE 10%w/v in alkane).

METHODS

Three PAMPA (BD pre-coated and PBLE with 2 different lipid volumes) models were tested with 108 drugs. Abraham solvation descriptors were used to interpret the in vitro-in vivo correlation with 282 in situ brain perfusion measurements, spanning over 5 orders of magnitude. An in combo PAMPA model was developed from combining measured PAMPA permeability with one H-bond descriptor.

RESULTS

The in combo PAMPA predicted 93% of the variance of 197 largely efflux-inhibited in situ permeability training set. The model was cross-validated by the "leave-many-out" procedure, with q(2) = 0.92 ± 0.03. The PAMPA models indicated the presence of paramembrane water channels. Only the PBLE-based PAMPA-BBB model with sufficient lipid to fill all the internal pore space of the filter showed a wide dynamic range window, selectivity coefficient near 1, and was suitable for predicting BBB permeability.

CONCLUSION

BBB permeability can be predicted by in combo PAMPA. Its speed and substantially lower cost, compared to in vivo measurements, make it an attractive first-pass screening method for BBB passive permeability.

Experimental modelling of drug membrane permeability by capillary electrophoresis using liposomes, micelles and microemulsions

Capillary electrophoresis (CE) was evaluated as an in-vitro format for experimental modelling of membrane permeability using only nanogram quantities of drug compounds. The rationale for the CE technique emanates from emulation of a lipid-like pseudo-stationary phase that governs separations mainly as a result of differences in molecular size, lipophilicity, hydrogen bonding and charge, all of which also have a strong influence on in-vivo drug absorption. By means of micellar, microemulsion and liposome electrolytes, the migration behaviour was studied at 37°C for 22 model drug compounds. The generated CE retention factor data were then compared with membrane permeability reference data. Both simple log D and more common Caco-2 cell parameters were evaluated. In addition, permeation through intestinal segments of rat ileum and rat colon was included. An improved correlation was obtained in the order: micellar<microemulsion<liposome systems. Although the correlation for the best liposome CE system was only R2 = 0.77, the evaluation results for all emphasized the strength and flexibility of CE for assessing specific drug-membrane interaction through tailor-made lipophilic media.

Alternative measures of lipophilicity: from octanol-water partitioning to IAM retention

This review describes lipophilicity parameters currently used in drug design and QSAR studies. After a short historical overview, the complex nature of lipophilicity as the outcome of polar/nonpolar inter- and intramolecular interactions is analysed and considered as the background for the discussion of the different lipophilicity descriptors. The first part focuses on octanol-water partitioning of neutral and ionisable compounds, evaluates the efficiency of predictions and provides a short description of the experimental methods for the determination of distribution coefficients. A next part is dedicated to reversed-phase chromatographic techniques, HPLC and TLC in lipophilicity assessment. The two methods are evaluated for their efficiency to simulate octanol-water and the progress achieved in the refinement of suitable chromatographic conditions, in particular in the field of HPLC, is outlined. Liposomes as direct models of biological membranes are examined and phospolipophilicity is compared to the traditional lipophilicity concept. Difficulties associated with liposome-water partitioning are discussed. The last part focuses on Immobilised Artificial Membrane (IAM) chromatography as an alternative which combines membrane simulation with rapid measurements. IAM chromatographic retention is compared to octanol-water and liposome-water partitioning as well as to reversed-phase retention and its potential to predict biopartitioning and biological activities is discussed.

The partitioning of PAHs to egg phospholipids facilitated by copper and proton binding via cation-pi interactions

The partitioning to lipid-containing solids (cell membranes, natural organic matters) plays an important role in the fate of organic pollutants. We herein studied sorption of a series of aromatic compounds from aqueous solution to gel-phase egg phospholipids. The regression line describing the free-energy relationship between lipid-water distribution coefficient (Kd) and n-octanol-water partition coefficient (K(OW)) for the high-polar compounds (phenolics, dinitrobenzene, trinitrobenzene) is displaced upward relative to the low-polar compounds (chlorobenzenes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), nitrobenzene, dichlorobenzonitrile), suggesting additive polar extra-interactions besides hydrophobic effects in sorption. Binding of Cu2+ or decreasing pH increases sorption of the three and four-ring PAHs but not the rest compounds. These results led us to propose a specific sorption mechanism, cation-pi bonding between PAHs and complexed metal ions or protonated amine groups of phospholipids. The Cu(2+)-PAH complexation in solution was supported by the observation that PAHs enhance the saturated solubility of CuSO4 in chloroform, and the enhancement correlates with pi-donor strength of PAH (pyrene > phenanthrene > naphthalene). The electron coupling between the protonated amine groups of phospholipids and PAHs in chloroform was verified by the electronic deshielding-induced downfield chemical shifts of phenanthrene at low pH in the 1H NMR spectrum.

Evaluation of bilayer disks as plant cell membrane models in partition studies

We have studied the partitioning of a set of phenolic compounds used as lignin precursor models into lipid bilayer disks and liposomes. The bilayer disks are open bilayer structures stabilized by polyethylene glycol-conjugated lipids. Our results indicate that disks generate more accurate partition data than do liposomes. Furthermore, we show that the partitioning into the membrane phase is reduced slightly if disks composed of 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine and cholesterol are exchanged for disks with a lipid composition mimicking that of the root tissue of Zea mays L.

Relationships between sterol/phospholipid composition and xenobiotic transport in nematodes

Therapeutic failure limits prophylaxis of nematode diseases and has been mainly attributed to mutations in cellular targets of anthelmintics. Besides these specific mechanisms, alterations of drug transport also occur in parasites resistant to anthelmintics and depend on both the presence of membrane pumps such as P-glycoprotein (Pgp) and on the lipid composition of membranes. We recently showed in the nematode Haemonchus contortus, using eggs as a model, that the total cholesterol (TC) concentration alters the transport of lipophilic molecules due to membrane pumps such as P-glycoprotein and the resistance to anthelmintics. The effect of TC may depend on the presence of other lipids interacting with TC. Therefore, we analysed the lipid composition and its relationship with Pgp and resistance to anthelmintics. Better correlations were found between Pgp and free cholesterol (FC) than with TC. We also showed that the relationships between lipid composition and resistance to anthelmintics or Pgp depended on the equilibrium between FC and phospholipids (PLs), mainly PLs known to be present primarily in either the external leaflets of cell membranes or the internal leaflets. The PLs phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine played the most significant role, but phosphatidic acid also influenced drug resistance.

Screening and analysis of bioactive compounds in traditional Chinese medicines using cell extract and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

As the cost of drug development is always many times more than that of drug discovery, predictive methods aiding in the screening of bioavailable drug candidates are of profound significance. In this paper, a novel method for screening bioactive compounds from traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) was developed by using living cell extract and gas chromatography (GC)-mass spectrometer (MS). The method was validated by using elemene emulsion injection (EEI), a typical TCM with known active compound, to interact with murine ascites hepatocarcinoma cell strain with high metastatic potential (HCa-F). Finally, the method was applied to screen the bioactive compounds from multi-component zedoary turmeric oil and glucose injection (ZTOGI). After HCa-F cells was incubated in ZTOGI, ethyl acetate (EtOAc) was used to extract the compounds in the cells for GC-MS analysis. Fourteen compounds were detected in the desorption eluate of HCa-F cell extract of ZTOGI, and further identified by MS. Curzerene and beta-elemene were found to be two major bioactive compounds in ZTOGI. These results show that the method developed may be applied to quickly screen the potential bioactive components in TCMs interacting with the target cells.