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Updated: Aug 19, 2026
An Efficient and Rapid HPLC-QQQ-MS Method for the Quantitation of Tropane Alkaloids in Medicinal Plants
Published on: June 12, 2026
Pharmacokinetics and Tissue Distribution of Four Characteristic Constituents from Cocculus orbiculatus in Rats Using
Xia Chen1,2, Jiangying Peng1,2, Di Wu1,2
1Key Technology Engineering Research Center for the Development of Dendrobium officinale Industry in Guizhou Higher Education, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi Guizhou, 563000, China.
Background:
Cocculus orbiculatus (L.) DC, a plant belonging to the genus Cocculus of the Menispermaceae, is rich in alkaloids, flavonoids, and other constituents, and exhibits anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities. However, studies on the in vivo processes of its bioactive components remain limited.
Objective:
This study established a UHPLC-Q-trap-MS/MS-based detection method to explore the pharmacokinetic profile and tissue distribution of magnoflorine, oblongine, syringic acid, and laurifoline in rats after intragastric administration of Cocculus orbiculatus extract.
Method:
A UHPLC-Q-trap-MS/MS method with MRM in ESI± modes was developed to quantify magnoflorine, laurotetanine, oblongine, and syringic acid in rat plasma and tissues (heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, prostate, intestine, and stomach) after oral administration of Cocculus orbiculatus extract to SD rats.
Results:
No obvious interference from endogenous substances was observed for the internal standard and analytes in plasma and liver samples, and the established method exhibited good linearity, with correlation coefficients r exceeding 0.999. In addition, the precision, accuracy, stability, matrix effect, and extraction recovery of this method met the requirements of biological sample analysis. Pharmacokinetic results indicated that after intragastric administration, magnoflorine, oblongine, and syringic acid were eliminated rapidly, while laurifoline was eliminated slowly. Tissue distribution results revealed that magnoflorine, oblongine, and laurifoline were detectable in all examined tissues, with the highest levels in the intestine and stomach, while syringic acid was detectable only in the kidney and stomach.
Conclusions:
In this study, the established method enables sensitive detection of chemical components in plasma and tissues, exhibiting good selectivity, specificity, precision, and reproducibility. Therefore, the obtained pharmacokinetic parameters and tissue distribution characteristics can provide references for optimizing clinical dosing regimens and exploring pharmacodynamic mechanisms.
Highlights:
Results from this study offer important insights into administration dosage in pharmacodynamic research of Cocculus orbiculatus and support further exploration of its pharmacodynamic material basis.