Systematic characterization of the metabolites of paeonol in rats using ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry with an integrative strategy

Paeonol, an active constituent in the root bark of Paeonia suffruticosa Andrews, is used to treat inflammation, headache and other diseases in clinic. Though the data on pharmacological researches of paeonol abounds, its metabolic profile is not so clear. It is essential to systematically characterize the in vivo metabolites in order to better understand its mechanism of action. In this study, ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-Q/TOF-MS) with an integrative strategy was developed for analysis of paeonol metabolites. As a result, based on seven reference substances isolated or synthesized, twenty-five metabolites were detected and identified in urine, feces, bile and plasma of rats after oral administration of paeonol. To the best of our knowledge, 14 of these metabolites have not been reported previously. In addition, the dominating metabolic fates were oxidation, demethylation, hydrogenation, glucuronic acid and sulfate conjugations, and hydrogenation of paeonol was reported for the first time. This research provides scientific and reliable support for full understanding of the metabolic profiling of paeonol.