Tissue Distribution of Jujuboside A in Sprague-Dawley Rats Determined by an Efficient HPLC–ESI-MS/MS Method

Abstract

Jujuboside A (JuA), a dammarane-type triterpene glycoside, is a main bioactive saponin in Zizyphi Spinosi Semen (a traditional Chinese herbal food). In this research, the distribution of JuA in Sprague-Dawley rats was investigated with a new and efficient HPLC–ESI-MS/MS method. The results showed that JuA distributed rapidly and widely in various rat tissues (including heart, liver, spleen, kidney, and lung) after intravenous administration. In addition, it was initially found that JuA could pass through the blood-brain barrier and reach various areas of the brain quickly. At 0.25 hr, the concentration of JuA in the hippocampus (204.10 ng · g−1) was significantly higher than in the cerebrum (144.27 ng · g−1), olfactory bulb (98.42 ng · g−1), and corpus striatum (76.04 ng · g−1) (p < 0.05), indicating that the hippocampus was the main accumulation area of JuA in the brain.