LC-ESI-MS Determination of Bilobalide and Ginkgolides in Canine Plasma

A sensitive and selective method using liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization mass spectrometric detection was developed for the quantification of bilobalide and ginkgolides in canine plasma. The analytes were extracted with diethyl ether-dichloromethane-isopropanol (6:3:1, v/v) after spiking the samples with daidzein (internal standard). The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) of the method was 2.5 μg L⁻¹ for ginkgolide B and 10.0 μg L⁻¹ for bilabolide, ginkgolide A and ginkgolide C. The accuracy of the method was within 15% of the actual values over a wide range of plasma concentrations. The intra-day and inter-day precision was better than 15% (R.S.D.). Finally, the LC-ESI-MS method was successfully applied to study the pharmacokinetics of ginkgolides and bilabolide after administration of Ginkgo biloba extracts to dogs.     

Pharmacokinetics of salvianolic acid B,rosmarinic acid and Danshensu in rat after pulmonary administration of Salvia miltiorrhiza polyphenolic acid solution

A sensitive and accurate LC–MS/MS method was established for quantifying salvianolic acid B (Sal B), rosmarinic acid (Ros A) and Danshensu (DA) in rat plasma. Salvia miltiorrhiza polyphenolic acid (SMPA), active water‐soluble ingredients isolated and purified from Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge included Sal B, Ros A and DA. The pharmacokinetic analysis of Sal B, Ros A and DA after pulmonary administration of SMPA solution to rat was performed by LC–MS/MS. Results from the pharmacokinetic studies showed that the peak concentration of DA was 21.85 ± 6.43 and 65.39 ± 3.83 ng/mL after pulmonary and intravenous administration, respectively. DA was not detected at 2 h after administration. The absolute bioavailabilities of Sal B and Ros A were respectively 50.37 ± 27.04 and 89.63 ± 12.16% after pulmonary administration of 10 mg/kg SMPA solution in rats. The absolute bioavailability of Sal B increased at least 10‐fold after pulmonary administration, compared with oral administration. It was concluded that the newly established LC–MS/MS method was suitable for describing the pharmacokinetic characteristics of Sal B, Ros A and DA in rat after pulmonary administration of SMPA solution. The data from this study will provide a preclinical insight into the feasibility of pulmonary administration of SMPA.     

Liquid chromatography/electrospray mass spectrometry of bioactive terpenoids in Ginkgo biloba L

Standardized extracts of Ginkgo biloba leaves are mainly used in the treatment of peripheral and celebral circulation disorders, and also as a remedy against asthma, coughs, bladder inflammation, blenorrhagia and alcohol abuse. The leaf extracts contain biflavones, flavonol glycosides and terpene lactones. This paper reports a method based on liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray mass spectrometry for the analysis of terpenoids in G. biloba extracts. This method allows the rapid isocratic separation of underivatized ginkgolides (GA, GB, GC and GJ) and bilobalide at very low levels (10 pg on the column) and their quantitative detection by external standardization with relative standard deviations of 3 and 5% for intra- and inter-day analyses, respectively.     

Three ginkgolide hydrates from Ginkgo biloba L.: ginkgolide A monohydrate,ginkgolide C sesquihydrate and ginkgolide J dihydrate,all determined at 120 K

A low‐temperature structure of ginkgolide A monohydrate, (1R,3S,3aS,4R,6aR,7aR,7bR,8S,10aS,11aS)‐3‐(1,1‐dimethylethyl)‐hexa­hydro‐4,7b‐di­hydroxy‐8‐methyl‐9H‐1,7a‐epoxymethano‐1H,6aH‐cyclo­penta­[c]­furo­[2,3‐b]­furo­[3′,2′:3,4]­cyclopenta­[1,2‐d]­furan‐5,9,12(4H)‐trione monohydrate, C₂₀H₂₄O₉·H₂O, obtained from Mo Kα data, is a factor of three more precise than the previous room‐temperature determination. A refinement of the ginkgolide A monohydrate structure with Cu Kα data has allowed the assignment of the absolute configuration of the series of compounds. Ginkgolide C sesquihydrate, (1S,2R,3S,3aS,4R,6aR,7aR,7bR,8S,10aS,11S,11aR)‐3‐(1,1‐di­methyl­ethyl)‐hexa­hydro‐2,4,7b,11‐tetrahydroxy‐8‐methyl‐9H‐1,7a‐epoxy­methano‐1H,6aH‐cyclopenta­[c]­furo­[2,3‐b]­furo­[3′,2′:3,4]­cyclo­penta­[1,2‐d]­furan‐5,9,12(4H)‐trione sesquihydrate, C₂₀H₂₄O₁₁·1.5H₂O, has two independent diterpene mol­ecules, both of which exhibit intramolecular hydrogen bonding between OH groups. Ginkgolide J dihydrate, (1S,2R,3S,3aS,4R,6aR,7aR,7bR,8S,10aS,11aS)‐3‐(1,1‐di­methyl­ethyl)‐hexa­hydro‐2,4,7b‐tri­hydroxy‐8‐methyl‐9H‐1,7a‐epoxy­methano‐1H,6aH‐cyclo­penta­[c]­furo­[2,3‐b]furo[3′,2′:3,4]­cyclo­penta­[1,2‐d]­furan‐5,9,12(4H)‐trione dihydrate, C₂₀H₂₄O₁₀·2H₂O, has the same basic skeleton as the other ginkgolides, with its three OH groups having the same configurations as those in ginkgolide C. The conformations of the six five‐membered rings are quite similar across ­ginkgolides A–C and J, except for the A and F rings of ginkgolide A.     

Preparation of ginkgolide and F-seco-ginkgolide lactols: the unique reactivity of α-hydroxy lactones toward NaBH4

It has been found that NaBH₄ smoothly reduces the α-hydroxy-lactone moieties in ginkgolide and F-seco-ginkgolides to lactols. The reaction is rapid and stops at the lactol stage; the coordination of NaBH₄ to the conformationally rigid cage structure is involved in both the initiation and termination stages. This facile reduction of ginkgolide lactones yields a variety of new ginkgolide lactols.     

Simultaneous determination of usnic,diffractaic, evernic and barbatic acids in rat plasma by ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography–quadrupole exactive Orbitrap mass spectrometry and its application to pharmacokinetic studies

Usnea longissima Ach. (Usnea) is used in pharmaceuticals, food and cosmetics. Evernic acid (EA), barbatic acid (BA), diffractaic acid (DA) and usnic acid (UA) are the most typical ingredients in U. longissima and exert a wide variety of biological functions. The study aimed to develop a sensitive method for simultaneous analysis of EA, BA, DA and UA in rat plasma and was applied to pharmacokinetic studies after consumption of UA and ethanol extract from U. longissima (UE). The samples were separated on a BEH C₁₈ column by gradient elution with 0.5% formic acid in water and in methanol. The relative molecular masses of analytes were obtained in full‐scan range from 50.0 to 750.0 m/z under negative ionization mode by UPLC‐Q‐Exactive Orbitrap MS. All validation parameters, such as lower limit of quantitation, linearity, specificity, precision, accuracy, extraction recovery, matrix effect and stability, were within acceptable ranges and the method was appropriate for biological specimen analysis. The pharmacokinetic results indicated that the absolute bioavailabilities of UA after oral administration of UA and UE reached 69.2 and 146.9%, respectively. Compared with UA in UE, the relative bioavailability of DA, BA and EA reached 103.7, 10.4 and 0.7% after oral administration of UE.     

高效液相色谱法考察银杏内酯B与其衍生物的变化规律

通过半制备色谱柱从银杏内酯B(GB)中分离出一种衍生物。高效液相色谱结果显示:该衍生物色谱峰的保留时间是GB的3.0倍左右;紫外光谱结果显示:该衍生物的最大紫外吸收波长为212.1 nm,最大吸光值为2.29×104,大约是GB的最大吸光值的100倍,说明是π→π*电子跃迁的结果,表明其分子结构中存在共轭双键;高效液相色谱-质谱分析结果显示:该衍生物在正离子模式下产生的分子离子峰为m/z 429.1(M+Na)+,负离子模式下产生的分子离子峰为m/z 405.2(M-H)-,与GB的分子离子峰质荷比相差18,且与GB具有相似的解离模式。GB对热稳定,而该衍生物对热相对不稳定。pH对两者的关系影响不大,当pH值逐渐增高时,衍生物的开环速度比GB快。溶剂和温度的综合作用对衍生物的稳定性影响更加显著,GB在聚乙二醇溶液中分别于50 ℃下保存15 h和120 ℃下保存4 h后其中的衍生物峰全部消失;将该溶液于120 ℃下保存4 h后分析,除有主峰GB外,在保留时间为1.2～3.0 min范围还伴随有小峰出现,这说明衍生物处于高能态,GB相对较为稳定,两者共存,且相互转化;在特定条件下衍生物能全部转化为GB。     

A rapid and efficient analytical method for the quantification of a novel anticholinergic compound,R‐phencynonate,by stable isotope‐dilution LC–MS/MS and its application to bioavailability and dose proportionality studies

A rapid, specific and high‐throughput stable isotope‐dilution LC–MS/MS method was developed and validated with high sensitivity for the quantification of R‐ phencynonate (a eutomer of phencynonate racemate) in rat and dog plasma. Plasma samples were deproteinized using acetonitrile and then separated on a C₈ column with an isocratic mobile phase containing acetonitrile–water–formic acid mixture (60:40:0.1, v /v/v) at a flow rate of 0.2 mL/min. Each sample had a total run time of 3 min. Quantification was performed using triple quadrupole mass spectrometry in selected reaction monitoring mode with positive electrospray ionization. The method was shown to be highly linear (r ² > 0.99) and to have a wide dynamic range (0.1–100 ng/mL) with favourable accuracy and precision. No matrix effects were observed. The detailed pharmacokinetic profiles of R‐ phencynonate at therapeutic doses in rats and dogs were characterized by rapid oral absorption, quick clearance, high volume of distribution and poor absolute bioavailability. R‐ Phencynonate lacked dose proportionality over the oral dose range, based on the power model. However, the area under concentration–time curve and the maximum plasma concentration increased linearly in a dose‐dependent manner in both animal models. The absolute bioavailability of R‐ phencynonate was 16.6 ± 2.75 and 4.78 ± 1.26% in dogs and rats, respectively.     

Preparation and evaluation of eudragit gels. V. Rectal gel preparations for sustained release and avoidance of first-pass metabolism of lidocaine.

The release of lidocaine from hydrogel and xerogel preparations was remarkably suppressed compared with polyethylene glycol (PEG) 2000 suppository. The release rate of lidocaine from hydrogel and xerogel increased with the increase in the amount of sodium hydroxide incorporated within the range of 3 to 7 milliequivalent (meq). After an oral administration of lidocaine HCl solution, the plasma concentration of lidocaine was considerably lower than that after intravenous administration for all time periods. The absolute bioavailability (F(oral)) was 5.63%. For the Witepsol S-55 and PEG 2000 suppositories, the plasma levels of lidocaine were higher than those for the oral preparation, and Cmax and area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) values significantly improved (p < 0.01). The absolute bioavailabilities were 21.3 and 29.6%, respectively. On the other hand, Eudispert hv-hydrogel and xerogel preparations showed the characteristics of a sustained-release preparation, especially the xerogel preparation with 5 meq NaOH. Absolute bioavailability for hydrogel and xerogel preparations increased significantly (p < 0.05) by approximately 1.7-3.4 folds compared with those of Witepsol S-55 and PEG 2000 suppositories.     

A validated LC–MS/MS method for simultaneous quantification of simvastatin and simvastatin acid in beagle plasma: Application to an absolute bioavailability study

A highly sensitive LC–MS/MS method for simultaneous detection of both simvastatin (SV) and simvastatin acid (SVA) in beagle plasma was developed and successfully applied to an absolute bioavailability study. Lovastatin (LV) was used as internal standard (IS). The analysis was performed using electrospray ionization and selective reaction monitoring in positive mode at m/z 441.0 → 325.0 for SV, 459.0 → 343.0 for SVA and 427.0 → 325.0 for the IS, respectively. The assay procedure involved a simple liquid–liquid extraction of SV, SVA and LV from beagle plasma into methyl tert-butyl ether. Separation of SV, SVA and the IS was achieved on a Shim-pack VP-ODS column (150 × 2.0 mm, 5 μm) with a binary gradient solvent system of 0.1% formic acid in water and methanol (15:85, v/v) as the mobile phase. The method was validated over the range of 0.25–500 ng/ml for SV (r² ≥ 0.9923) and 0.24–481.23 ng/ml for SVA (r² ≥ 0.9987). The results of method validation for accuracy, precision, extraction recovery, matrix effect and stability were within the acceptance criteria. The values of absolute bioavailability of SV and SVA in beagles were 2.97 and 25.40%, respectively. It is the first study developed for the measurement of absolute bioavailability of SV and SVA acid in beagles.     

Cellular pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics mechanisms of ginkgo diterpene lactone and its modulation of P‐glycoprotein expression in human SH‐SY5Y cells

Ginkgo diterpene lactone (GDL) is the raw material for ginkgo diterpene lactone meglumine injection, which is used for treating cerebral ischemia. The aims of this study were to explore the cellular pharmacokinetics of GDL in whole cells and subcellular fractions, and detect cellular pharmacodynamics on the human SH‐SY5Y cells induced by oxygen–glucose deprivation and reoxygenation (OGD/R). Firstly, a simple, sensitive and reliable liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) method was developed and validated for assessing the amount of ginkgolide A (GA), B (GB) and K (GK) in cellular/subcellular samples. Then, phosphatidylserine and mitochondria membrane potential were assayed to evaluate the extent of apoptosis effect. The study showed that the cellular/subcellular accumulation of GA and GB were increased in a concentration‐dependent manner; the levels of GA and GB in cytosol were the highest among these subcellular organelles. Meanwhile, GDL also attenuated the OGD/R‐induced increases in the percentage of apoptotic and mitochondria membrane potential. In addition, verapamil increased the rate and amount of GA and GB entering cellular/subcellular compartments through inhibition of P‐glycoprotein activity, and promoted the protective effect of GDL. The present study reports the cellular pharmacokinetics profiles of GA and GB in normal and OGD/R‐induced SH‐SY5Y cells in vitro for the first time, which provided valuable information for clinical safety application.     

Determination of ginkgolide A,B, and bilobalide in<Emphasis Type="Italic"> biloba</Emphasis> L. extracts by microdialysis-HPLC

A method has been developed for measuring ginkgolide A, B, and bilobalide in ginkgo biloba L. extracts by using a self-assembled microdialysis device coupled on-line to high-performance liquid chromatography. The optimal conditions for dialysis efficiency and chromatographic analysis were investigated. The results show that the dialysis efficiencies for ginkgolide A, B, and bilobalide are 97.8–100.4%. For the spike concentration of 45 mg L^–1, the recoveries of ginkgolide A, B, and bilobalide in ginkgo biloba L. extracts were at 97–100.7% with 3.1–4.7% RSD. The proposed method has therefore been shown to be applicable to the analysis of ginkgolide A, B, and bilobalide in ginkgo biloba L. extracts.     

Identification and the retention index of bilobalide and ginkgolides using capillary gas chromatography

Ginkgo biloba L. is known to contain the unique terpene trilactone compounds bilobalide and ginkgolides. Capillary gas chromatography is used for the quantitative identification of bilobalide and the main ginkgolides (ginkgolide A, B, and C). The retention indices of these compounds are also determined. Retention indices of bilobalide and ginkgolide A, B, and C substitute the use of their standards at their routine identification. Our procedure does not require temperature-programmed operation.     

Development of a validated UPLC–MS/MS method for determination of humantenmine in rat plasma and its application in pharmacokinetics and bioavailability studies

Humantenmine (HMT), the most toxic compound isolated from Gelsemium elegans Benth , is a well‐known active herbal compound. A rapid and sensitive ultra‐performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC–MS/MS) method was developed and validated to estimate the absolute oral bioavailability of HMT in rats. Quantification was performed by multiple reaction monitoring using electrospray ionization operated in positive ion mode with transitions of m/z 327.14 → m/z 296.19 for HMT and m/z 323.20 → m/z 236.23 for gelsemine (internal standard, IS). The linear range of the calibration curve was 1–256 nmol/L, with a lower limit of quantification at 1 nmol/L. The accuracy of HMT ranged from 89.39 to 107.5%, and the precision was within 12.24% (RSD). Excellent recovery and negligible matrix effect were observed. HMT remained stable during storage, preparation and analytical procedures. The pharmacokinetics of HMT in rats showed that HMT reached the concentration peak at 12.50 ± 2.74 min with a peak concentration of 28.49 ± 6.65 nmol/L, and the corresponding area under the concentration–time curve (AUC_0–t ) was 1142.42 ± 202.92 nmol/L min after 200 μg/kg HMT was orally administered to rats. The AUC_0–t of HMT given at 20 μg/kg by tail vein administration was 1518.46 ± 192.24 nmol/L min. The calculated absolute bioavailability of HMT was 7.66%.     

A UPLC/MS/MS method for determination of protosappanin B in rat plasma and its application of a pharmacokinetic and bioavailability study

Caesalpinia sappan L . is a traditional medicinal plant which is used for promoting blood circulation and cerebral apoplexy therapy in China. Previous reports showed that the extracts of Caesalpinia sappan L . could exert vasorelaxant activity and anti‐inflammation activity. Protosappanin B is a major constituent of C. sappan L. , and showed several important bioactivities. The separation was achieved by an Acquity UPLC BEH Symmetry Shield RP₁₈ column (1.7 μm, 2.1 × 100 mm) column with the gradient mobile phase consisting of 5 mm ammonium acetate aqueous solution and acetonitrile. Detection was carried out by using negative‐ion electrospray tandem mass spectrometry via multiple reaction monitoring. Plasma samples were preprocessed by an extraction with ethyl acetate, and apigenin was used as internal standard. The current UPLC–MS/MS assay was validated for linearity, accuracy, intraday and interday precisions, stability, matrix effects and extraction recovery. After oral and intravenous administration, the main pharmacokinetic parameters were as follows: peak concentrations, 83.5 ± 46.2 and 1329.6 ± 343.6 ng/mL; areas under the concentration–time curve, 161.9 ± 69.7 and 264.9 ± 56.3 μg h/L; and half‐lives, 3.4 ± 0.9 and 0.3 ± 0.1 h, respectively. The absolute bioavailability in rats of protosappanin B was 12.2%. The method has been successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic and bioavailability study of protosappanin B in rats.     

LC‐MS/MS determination of pogostone in rat plasma and its application in pharmacokinetic studies

Pogostone is an important constituent of Pogostemon cablin (Blanco) Benth., and possesses various known bioactivities. A rapid, simple and sensitive liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS) method was developed for the analysis of pogostone in rat plasma using chrysophanol as internal standard (IS). The analytes were extracted with methanol and separated using a reversed‐phase YMC‐UltraHT Pro C₁₈ column. Elution was achieved with a mobile phase consisting of methanol–water (75:25, v/v) for 5 min at a flow rate of 400 μL/min. The precursor/product transitions (m/z) under MS/MS detection with negative electrospray ionization (ESI) were 223.0 → 139.0 and 253.1 → 224.9 for pogostone and IS, respectively. The calibration curve was linear over the concentration range 0.05–160 µg/mL (r = 0.9996). The intra‐ and inter‐day accuracy and precision were within ±10%. The validated method was successfully applied to the preclinical pharmacokinetic investigation of pogostone in rats after intravenous (5, 10 and 20 mg/kg) and oral administration (5, 10 and 20 mg/kg). Finally, the oral absolute bioavailability of pogostone in rats was calculated to be 70.39, 78.18 and 83.99% for 5, 10 and 20 mg/kg, respectively. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Quantitative determination of euphol in rat plasma by LC‐MS/MS and its application to a pharmacokinetic study

Euphol is a potential pharmacologically active ingredient isolated from Euphorbia kansui. A simple, rapid, and sensitive method to determine euphol in rat plasma was developed based on liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS) for the first time. The analyte and internal standard (IS), oleanic acid, were extracted from plasma with methanol and chromatographied on a C₁₈ short column eluted with a mobile phase of methanol–water–formic acid (95:5:0.1, v/v/v). Detection was performed by positive ion atmospheric pressure chemical ionization in selective reaction monitoring mode. This method monitored the transitions m/z 409.0 → 109.2 and m/z 439.4 → 203.2 for euphol and IS, respectively. The assay was linear over the concentration range 27–9000 ng/mL, with a limit of quantitation of 27 ng/mL. The accuracy was between –7.04 and 4.11%, and the precision was <10.83%. This LC‐MS/MS method was successfully applied to investigate the pharmacokinetic study of euphol in rats after intravenous (6 mg/kg) and oral (48 mg/kg) administration. Results showed that the absolute bioavailability of euphol was approximately 46.01%. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Pharmacokinetics and oral bioavailability of epimedin C after oral administration of epimedin C and Herba Epimedii extract in rats

Epimedin C, an ingredient of Herba Epimedii, has potential for treatment of cardiovascular disease and bone loss. However, there is still no sensitive analytical method to monitor epimedin C in biological samples. The goal of this study was to develop a sensitive and reliable method based on a LC‐MS/MS for evaluating the pharmacokinetics of epimedin C after administration of Herba Epimedii in rat. Electrospray ionization in positive‐ion mode and multiple reaction monitoring were used to identify and quantitate active components. Analytes were separated by a reverse‐phase C₁₈ column. Liquid–liquid extraction using ethyl acetate, evaporation and reconstitution was used to plasma sample preparation. Mass transition of precursor ion → product ion pairs were monitored at m/z 823.4 → 313.1 for epimedin C and m/z 237.1 → 178.9 for carbamazepine (internal standard). A calibration curve gave good linearity (r > 0.999) over the concentration range 2.5–500 ng/mL. Pharmacokinetic data demonstrated that there was rapid distribution and slow elimination after epimedin C administration (1 mg/kg, i.v.). Oral bioavailabilities of epimedin C in the pure compound and in the Herba Epimedii were around 0.58% and 0.13%, respectively. The result suggests that other herbal ingredients of Herba Epimedii may suppress the oral bioavailability of epimedin C. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Liquid chromatography/electrospray tandem mass spectrometry of terpenoid lactones in Ginkgo biloba

Ginkgo biloba (ginkgo) is one of most frequently used botanical dietary supplements. The bioactive constituents include the terpenoid lactones consisting of bilobalide and the ginkgolides A, B, C and J. A new assay based on high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) was developed for the measurement of the terpenoid lactones in ginkgo products such as leaf powder and extracts. Initially, the MS/MS fragmentation pathways of ginkgolides were investigated to identify abundant fragment ions that might be useful for the sensitive and selective detection of ginkgolides and bilobalide during LC/MS/MS. Then, sample preparation and clean-up procedures were streamlined to maximize throughput by taking advantage of the selectivity of LC/MS/MS detection. Analyte recoveries exceeded 90%, the intra-assay and inter-assay relative standard deviations were <5%, the relative error was <8% and the limits of detection and quantification were 3.6-120 and 11-350 fmol, depending on the analyte that was injected on to the LC column. Therefore, this LC/MS/MS assay facilitated the rapid quantitative analysis of ginkgolides A, B, C and J and bilobalide in ginkgo dietary supplements with excellent recovery, reproducibity, accuracy and sensitivity.     

Improved Stability of a Stable Crystal Form C of 6S-5-Methyltetrahydrofolate Calcium Salt,Method Development and Validation of an LC–MS/MS Method for Rat Pharmacokinetic Comparison

Folate is a vitamin beneficial for humans that plays an important role in metabolism, but it cannot be well supplemented by food; it is necessary to supplement it in other ways. Based on this consideration, a novel crystal form C of 6S-5-methyltetrahydrofolate calcium salt (MTHF CAC) was obtained. To explore the difference between MTHF CAC and the crystal form Ⅰ of 6S-5-methyltetrahydrofolate calcium salt (MTHF CA) as well as an amorphous product of 6S-5-methyltetrahydrofolate glucosamine salt (MTHF GA), their stability and pharmacokinetic behaviours were compared. The results of high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with ultraviolet detection analysis indicated that MTHF CAC showed a better stability than MTHF CA and MTHF GA. After oral administration of MTHF CAC, MTHF CA, and MTHF GA to male rats, the MTHF concentrations were analysed using a validated liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry, and the pharmacokinetic parameters were compared. The mean residence times (0–t) of MTHF CAC, MTHF CA, and MTHF GA were 3.7 ± 1.9 h, 1.0 ± 0.2 h (p < 0.01), and 1.5 ± 0.3 h (p < 0.05), respectively. The relative bioavailability of MTHF CAC was calculated to be 351% and 218% compared with MTHF CA and MTHF GA, respectively, which suggests that MTHF CAC can be better absorbed and utilized for a longer period of time.