Tissue distribution, excretion characteristics and metabolic profiling studies of oxypeucedanin in rats using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

Oxypeucedanin (OPD) is a linear furanocoumarin extracted from Chinese herbs, which has been reported to exhibit various pharmacological effects such as analgesia, antitussive, anticancer and anti-inflammatory activities. In this paper, the tissue distribution, excretion and metabolism characteristics of OPD in rat was conducted in order to better understand this compound and for potential development of OPD as a medicine. We first used the established HPLC/MS/MS method to examine the plasma protein binding rate and the tissue distribution of OPD in rats after oral administration. The excretion characteristics of OPD in urine, feces and bile, as well as its metabolic profiles in plasma, urine and bile were also investigated. The results demonstrated that after OPD administration, extensive metabolism occurred in rats, involving first-pass effect and enterohepatic circulation, with significant sex differences observed in the metabolic process. The study identified eight metabolites in rats, indicating that OPD metabolism primarily occurs through oxidation, reduction, and glucuronidation. In summary, this study systematically examined the basic process of OPD in vivo, providing a robust foundation for accurately predicting the behavior, efficacy and safety of OPD in humans.