Pre-column derivatization combined with UHPLC-MS/MS for rapid and sensitive quantification of bakuchiol in rat plasma

Psoralea corylifolia L. (Fabaceae) is a traditional Chinese medicine with many beneficial effects in medical therapies. Bakuchiol was the main active ingredient of Psoralea corylifolia L. In this study, a novel method of pre-column derivatization with dansyl chloride followed by analysis of ultra high-performance liquid chromatographic-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) was established and validated for quantification of bakuchiol in rat plasma. The linearity of this approach was confirmed to be within the concentration range of 0.5-1000 ng/mL and the lower limit of quantification was at 0.5 ng/mL. The total analysis time was 1.5 min for each pretreated sample. Also, the precision, accuracy, stability, recovery and matrix effect of this method were proved to meet the requirements for bioanalysis. The intravenous and oral pharmacokinetic profiles of bakuchiol were obtained by utilizing this approach. The oral bioavailability of bakuchiol in rats (3.2%) was identified.