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.     

Simultaneous determination of ginkgolides A,B, C and bilobalide by LC‐MS/MS and its application to a pharmacokinetic study in rats

The study of pharmacokinetics of Ginkgo biloba extracts in Traditional Chinese Medicine was relatively recent. In this study, a simple, quick and sensitive LC‐MS/MS analytical method was developed for the determination of ginkgolides A, B, C and bilobalide in rat plasma. The analytes were completely separated from the endogenous compounds on an Agilent Zorbax Eclipse plus C₁₈ column (50 mm × 3.0 mm, 1.8 µm) using an isocratic elution. The single‐run analysis time was as short as 5.0 min. Sample preparation for protein removal was accomplished used a simple methanol precipitation method, after SPE showing a simultaneous extraction and cleanup of extracts allowing for a direct analysis. Extraction recoveries in rat plasma for ginkgolides A, B, C and bilobalide ranged from 75.6% to 89.0%. The calibration curves were determined over the ranges 0.5–20,000 ng/mL for ginkgolides A, B, C and bilobalide respectively. The lower limits of quantification (LLOQ) of the analytes were 0.5 ng/mL. Inter‐day and intra‐day precision and accuracy were below 15% and between 85 and 115%, respectively. Finally, the developed method was successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study following oral administration of the Ginkgo biloba extracts to the male ICR rats. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

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.     

Sample preparation and determination of ginkgo terpene trilactones in selected beverage, snack, and dietary supplement products by liquid chromatography with evaporative light-scattering detection

Ginkgo biloba leaf extract has been widely used in dietary supplements and more recently in some foods and beverages. Sample preparation procedures for determination of ginkgo terpene trilactones (including bilobalide and ginkgolides A, B, C, and J) in various sample matrixes were developed in this study. Ginkgo leaves and capsules were extracted with 5% KH2PO4 aqueous solution under sonication. Tea bags were extracted with boiling water, whereas drink samples were taken directly from the bottles. After filtration and the addition of NaCl to approximately 30% (w/v), the terpene trilactones in aqueous solutions were quantitatively extracted with ethyl acetate-tetrahydrofuran (4 + 1, v/v). Puff samples (a cereal-based fried snack item) were first defatted by using hexane or by using supercritical fluid extraction and then extracting under sonication with methanol-acetic acid (99 + 1, v/v). After evaporation of the organic phase, the terpene trilactones were redissolved in methanol and determined on a C18 reversed-phase column by liquid chromatography (LC) with evaporative light-scattering detection. The method of standard additions and gas chromatography with flame ionization detection were used for method validation. For most samples, the relative standard deviation was <10%. The identities of target compounds in ginkgo leaves and drink samples were confirmed by LC/electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry.     

Selective dissolution and one step separation of terpene trilactones in ginkgo leaf extracts for GC-FID determination

Under ultrasonication, the ginkgo terpene trilactones, ginkgolides and bilobalide, in ginkgo extracts can be selectively dissolved in 10% aqueous NaH(2)PO(4) solution at a temperature of 50-60 degrees C and separated from the solution by extraction with a mixture of ethyl acetate/tetrahydrofuran in a capped vial. After derivatization, these terpene trilactones can be quantified using GC-FID. This method has a detection limit of 10 ng, and the RSD was 6% (n=5). Twelve commercial GBE products in powder, liquid, tablet and capsule forms were analyzed. The total time required for analyzing these samples from sample preparation to final data processing was less than 6 h, and the total organic solvent consumption was less than 40 ml. This procedure proves to be a simple, fast, safe, and effective method for all types of Ginkgo biloba extracts (GBE) including the "complex" or "advanced" formulas.     

Quantitative analysis of bilobalide and ginkgolides from Ginkgo biloba leaves and Ginkgo products using (1)H-NMR

1H-NMR spectrometry was applied to the quantitative analysis of the bilobalide, ginkgolides A, B, and C in Ginkgo biloba leaves and six kinds of commercial Ginkgo products without any chromatographic purification. The experiment was performed by the analysis of each singlet H-12, which were well separated in the range of delta 6.0-7.0 in the (1)H-NMR spectrum. However, the H-12 protons of bilobalide and ginkgolides may have overlapped with H-6 or H-8 protons of the Ginkgo flavonoids. Therefore, the optimum (1)H-NMR solvent for the analysis of the compound was selected through the evaluation of solvent effects on the resolution of these signals from the compounds. Acetone-d(6)-benzene-d(6) (50 : 50) was found to be the best one among the solvents evaluated. The quantity of the compounds was calculated by the relative ratio of the intensity of each compound to the known amount of internal standard (25 microgram), phloroglucinol. This method allows rapid and simple quantitation of underivatized bilobalide and ginkgolides in 5 min without any pre-purification steps.     

Quantitative determination of major active components in Ginkgo biloba dietary supplements by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry

A reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (RP-HPLC/ESI-MS) method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of ten major active components in Ginkgo biloba extract (bilobalide, ginkgolides A, B, C, quercetin, kaempferol, isorhamnetin, rutin hydrate, quercetin-3-beta-D-glucoside and quercitrin hydrate) which have not been previously reported to be quantified in a single analysis. The ten components exhibit baseline separation in 50 min by C18 chromatography using a water/1:1 (v/v) methanol/acetonitrile gradient. Quantitation was performed using negative ESI-MS in selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode. Good reproducibility and recovery were obtained by this method. The sensitivity of both UV and different mass spectrometry modes (full scan, selected ion monitoring (SIM), and selected reaction monitoring (SRM)) were compared and both quantitation with and without internal standard were evaluated. The analysis of Ginkgo biloba commercial products showed remarkable variations in the rutin and quercetin content as well as the terpene lactone contents although all the products satisfy the conventional quality control method.     

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.     

Liquid chromatography-electrospray mass spectrometric studies of ginkgolides and bilobalide using simultaneous monitoring of proton,ammonium and sodium adducts

A liquid chromatographic-electrospray mass spectrometric method was developed for the determination of ginkgolides and bilobalide and was applied to the analysis of commercial products of Ginkgo biloba leaf extracts. Adducts of these compounds with ammonium, proton and sodium were detected and their relative abundance depended on the electrospray fragmentor voltage. The relative standard deviation (RSD) was improved from > 17% to < 6%, when three adduct ions of (M + H)+, (M + NH4)+ and (M + Na)+ were used for quantification compared with single ion monitoring. The characteristic mass spectra of bilobalide were different from those of ginkgolides; in particular, dimers of (2M + Na)+ were observed for bilobalide only. Analysis of 26 commercial ginkgo products revealed large variations in the composition and concentrations of ginkgolides and bilobalide in herbal products.     

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.     

微流蒸发光散射检测器与毛细管液相色谱的联用及其在银杏叶提取物分析中的应用

将微流蒸发光散射检测器( μELSD)与毛细管液相色谱(cLC)联用,应用于中药银杏叶提取物及其分散片制剂的分离检测领域。首先对 μELSD仪器参数进行优化。通过调节漂移管温度与载气流量,提高了分析物的响应,并减小了噪声。然后,搭建了cLC-μELSD分离检测平台,其相对常规LC可大大减小实验试剂消耗。流动相A为0.05%(体积分数,下同)三氟乙酸(TFA)水溶液,流动相B为含0.05% TFA的甲醇溶液。最优的洗脱梯度条件为:0~10 min,5%B~25%B;10~25 min,25%B~38%B;25~35 min,38%B;35~40 min,38%B~42%B;40~55 min,42%B~50%B。银杏叶提取物和复杂中药制剂银杏叶提取物分散片都得到了较好的分离,并在其中鉴定到紫外波段几乎无吸收的重要内酯类活性成分白果内酯以及银杏内酯A、B和C。测定了不同厂家银杏叶提取物中萜类内酯洗脱时间的相对标准偏差,结果均不大于2.42%,表明该体系在目标物的分析上具有良好的重现性。实验证明所建立的cLC-ELSD体系在复杂中药体系的分离检测中有良好的应用性。     

Study on the bioavailability of baicalin-phospholipid complex by using HPLC.

A complex of baicalin with soy phospholipid was prepared to improve the bioabsorption of baicalin. A simple and sensitive HPLC method was developed for baicalin determination in rat plasma. It was shown that its plasma concentration reached a peak of 0.42 microgram/mL 5.3 h after oral administration, 600 mg/kg. However, after intake of its phospholipid complex, a peak of 0.90-microgram/mL occurred at a later time, 6.1 h. The elimination of the complex tended to be slower than that of the free drug. There was a significant difference in the mean area under the concentration-time curves (AUC) between the free drug and the complex (p < 0.01).     

Application of reverse-flow micellar electrokinetic chromatography for the simultaneous determination of flavonols and terpene trilactones in Ginkgo biloba dosage forms

A reverse-flow micellar electrokinetic chromatographic (RF-MEKC) method was developed for the simultaneous qualitative determination of 10 components consisting of the flavonol glycosides, rutin and quercitrin, the flavonol aglycones, isorhamnetin, kaempferol and quercetin, the terpene trilactones, ginkgolides A, B, C and J and the sesquiterpene, bilobalide. This method was used to fingerprint Ginkgo biloba solid oral dosage forms and validated for the quantitation of the marker compounds, rutin and quercetin in some commercial products. In addition to the usual variables, the influence of some essential background electrolyte (BGE) components such as sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) and -cyclodextrin concentrations were investigated. A polyimide fused-silica square capillary column (75 microm I.D. x 360 microm O.D.) with a total length of 60.0 cm and effective length of 45.0 cm was used for the separation. The final BGE consisted of 20 mM phosphoric acid, 40 mM SDS and 12 mM -cyclodextrin (pH 2.2) using reverse polarity with a voltage of -17.5 kV. Samples were injected electrokinetically at -5 kV for 3 s for the qualitative analysis and hydrodynamically at 20 mbar for 0.6 s for the quantitative assay. The total run time was 22 min and the limits of detection were 3.13 microg/ml and 1.88 microg/ml for rutin and quercetin, respectively. Fingerprint profiles of the solid oral dosage forms and the results of the quantitative analysis indicated that there were major discrepancies in the marker content between products and illustrates the value of this method for use as a procedure to assess product quality of commercially available Ginkgo biloba products.     

Development and validation of a gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric method for simultaneous identification and quantification of marker compounds including bilobalide,ginkgolides and flavonoids in Ginkgo biloba L. extract and pharmaceutical preparations

A gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of seven major chemical markers (bilobalide, ginkgolides A, B, C, kaempferol, quercetin and isorhamnetin) in phytopharmaceuticals of Ginkgo biloba L. The intra-day relative standard deviations (RSD) and inter-day RSD's were based on the analysis of the standardized Ginkgo biloba L. extract on the same day and on the following 3 consecutive days. The intra-day RSD's ranged from 1.21% (bilobalide) to 6.20% (kaempferol). The inter-day RSD's ranged from 2.10% (bilobalide) to 10.42% (isorhamnetin). Mean recoveries ranged from a low of 63.0 +/- 5.3% (isorhamnetin) to a maximum of 103.5 +/- 6.0% (ginkgolide A). Calibration curves were linear in ranges between 2.73 and 36.36 microg/ml for the markers. Limits of detection ranged from a low of 0.5 microg/ml (bilobalide) to a high of 2.5 microg/ml (quercetin). The limits of quantitation were a low of 1.1 microg/ml (gingkolides A, B, C) to a high of 7.5 microg/ml (kaempferol). The method was applied to a standard extract (>6% total terpenoids and >24% total flavonoids) and six ginkgo capsule phytopharmaceuticals.     

Preparation & characterization of embelin�Cphospholipid complex as effective drug delivery tool

The aim of the present study was to prepare an embelin?Cphospholipid complex (EPC) formulation in an attempt to enhance the water solubility and to characterize the new developed formulation. Embelin, due to water insolubility causes poor bioavailability by oral route. To improve the bioavailability and prolong its duration in body system, its phospholipid complexes were prepared by a simple and reproducible method. EPC was formulated by mechanical dispersion method using ethanol as a reaction medium, embelin and phospholipids were dissolved into the medium, after that organic solvent was removed under vacuum condition and EPC was formed. The complex formation was confirmed by carrying out FTIR, ¹H-NMR, XRD, DSC and microscopical studies. Solubility and in vitro studies were carried out to ascertain the solubility and dissolution pattern of free and complexed embelin. Content of embelin in EPC was found to be 92.44% (w/w). FTIR, ¹H NMR, DSC and XRD data confirmed the formation of embelin phospholipid complex. Water solubility of embelin was improved from 3 to 42 ??g/mL in the prepared complex. n-Octanol solubility were also altered for free embelin and EPC from 2.3 to 39 ??g/mL. Unlike the free embelin, which showed a total of only 19% drug release at the end of 120 min, EPC showed 99.80% release at the end of 120 min of dissolution study in distilled water. Microscopical characterization of the developed formulation also showed the entrapment of embelin in the lipid core showing complex structure, which was further, supported by change in surface morphology of embelin on microscopical examination. Hence, the present findings demonstrate that complexing embelin with phospholipid can be further explored for improved therapeutic implications.     

Simultaneous determination of ginkgo flavonoids and terpenoids in plasma: Ammonium formate in LC mobile phase enhancing electrospray ionization efficiency and capacity

Extracts from Ginkgo biloba leaves confer their therapeutic effects through the synergistic actions of flavonoid and terpenoid components. We herein describe the development of an LC-MS/MS-based method for simultaneous determination of flavonoids (quercetin, kaempferol, and isorhamnetin) and terpenoids (bilobalide, ginkgolides A, B, C, and J) in acid-hydrolyzed plasma by circumventing cross-interference between the flavonoids and terpenoids identified. Notably, inclusion of ammonium formate (0.2 mM) in the mobile phase generated beneficial LC-electrolyte effects, including increased ESI efficiency and capacity, with the result that the newly developed procedure exhibits the highest analytical performance reported to date for ginkgo-associated studies. The method yields high sensitivity, negligible matrix interference and cross-interference, wide linear dynamic ranges, high sample throughput, and quite small initial sample size. The assay utility to dog pharmacokinetic measurements of commercial ginkgo products yielded the most comprehensive data on systemic exposure to the ginkgo compounds to date. The newly developed multi-analyte procedure should be widely useful.     

Preparative isolation of terpene trilactones from Ginkgo biloba leaves

This study investigated and compared some techniques for the preparative isolation of terpene trilactones, including ginkgolides (GA and GB, etc.) and bilobalide (BB), from Ginkgo biloba leaves. The crude Ginkgo biloba L. extracts (GBE) were prepared using an extractor with solvent refluxing operated under an optimal extraction condition. The extraction yield was 20-23% and the purity of terpene trilactones was about 1.0-1.4 wt%. Before the isolation operations, the extracts were dissolved in de-ionized water. The isolation procedures included the method of liquid-liquid extraction and the method of column chromatography. For the method of liquid-liquid extraction using ethyl acetate as the organic solvent operated under the optimal extraction conditions, the purity, concentration ratio, and yield of terpene trilactones were 13.5-18.0%, 15-16, and >99%. For the method of column chromatography, XAD-7HP, XAD-4, and C-18 adsorbents with different polarities were used as the packing materials. Only for the XAD-7HP column, a part of more polar impurities was efficiently separated with the majority of terpene trilactones by a proper step-gradient elution, which resulted in an efficient isolation: the purity, concentration ratio, and yield of terpene trilactones were approximately 20, approximately 15, and approximately 80%. In comparison, the XAD-7HP column achieved the highest purity, but at the expense of the yield of terpene trilactones; on the contrary, the liquid-liquid extraction method, achieving the highest yield but with a slightly lower purity, was proved to be superior to the method of column chromatography in the current isolation stage.     

液相色谱-大气压化学电离离子阱质谱法测定烟草中的游离茄尼醇

用液相色谱/大气压化学电离离子阱质谱建立了一种分析烟草中游离茄尼醇的方法。烟草样品用甲醇振荡提取30 min,在分析前无需进行其它前处理。在1.8μm快速分离C18色谱短柱上用V(甲醇)∶V(异丙醇)=85∶15等梯度洗脱实现了茄尼醇的快速分离。用不带碰撞能量的二级质谱全扫描选择监测离子m/z 613.6进行定量,检出限为0.4μg/L,RSD为1.1%,两种添加量的回收率分别为97%和99%。方法应用于不同烟草和烟草制品样品的检测分析。     

Ginkgolide

The ginkgolides are along with bilobalide and some flavonoids the most important active agents of the maidenhair tree (Ginkgo biloba). They derive from the terpenoid biosynthetic pathway, and are established by cyclisation of geranylgeranyl diphosphate, oxidative functionalization and scaffold rearrangements. Elias J. Corey and Michael T. Crimmins published prominent total syntheses of ginkgolide B. In the 1950s, Willmar Schwabe III developed an extract of the dried leaves, which is rich in ginkgolides, bilobalide and flavonoids. It is used for the symptomatic treatment of memory disorders, absent‐mindedness, dizziness, tinnitus and dementia.     

Simultaneous micellar electrokinetic chromatography and liquid chromatography of adriblastina and tarabine PFS Their application to some biological fluids

The current work presents analytical procedures for simultaneous determination of tarabine PFS and adriblastina by micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) and liquid chromatography (LC). For MEKC analysis, separations and identifications were accomplished using uncoated fused-silica capillary with hydrodynamic injections in the presence of 50mM borate/phophate pH 8.7 and 100mM SDS. The migration times of tarabine PFS and adriblastina were found to be 2.70 and 6.40min, respectively. Calibration curves were established for 10-300ng/mL (r=0.998) tarabine PFS and for 8-120microg/mL (r=0.999) adriblastina. For LC analysis, separations were performed on teicoplanin stationary phase with reversed mobile phase containing methanol:buffer pH 4.05 (20:80%, v/v) at 285nm. The retention times of tarabine PFS and adriblastina were 5.18 and 7.20min, respectively. Calibration curves were established for 3-90microg/mL (r=0.998) tarabine PFS and for 10-120microg/mL (r=0.999) adriblastina. Both MEKC and LC methods were applied for the simultaneous determination of analytes in urine samples.