The Combination of UPLC MS and Derivatization Method for Analysis of Purslane for Ulcerative Colitis In Vivo

Portulaca oleracea L. (PL) has significant clinical efficacy in treating ulcerative colitis (UC), which significantly affects patients' daily life. However, the absorption and metabolism of PL in vivo remain unclear due to the difficulty in detecting organic acids. This study focused on analyzing the pharmacogenetic composition of PL extract in 24 rats (n = 6) and its targeted network pharmacology. Using UPLC MS with derivatization techniques, plasma, and faeces were collected from healthy and UC rats gavaged with PL extracts. Subsequently, in vitro derivatization of the above biological samples and PL extracts was performed before and after derivatization to qualitatively analyze to ensure biosafety. A total of 61 active constituents and 21 constituents in vivo were detected. After derivatization, the sensitivity for detecting non-acid compositions increased in the negative mode, and the sensitivity for detecting acids also increased in the positive mode. For plasma and intestinal analysis, the detective sensitivity of organic acid was effectively increased for 1-3 times, and healthy rats with PL were detected with higher levels of the active constituents than that of UC rats with PL. Combined with the pharmacological analysis of the targeting network, it might act through the hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) signaling pathway and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K-Akt) signaling pathway. However, individual differences in the samples may limit the generalizability of the results, and further validation with larger sample sizes is needed. This study not only provides a scientific basis for the material basis of the medicinal effects but also provides new ideas and methods for the study of traditional Chinese medicines.