ABSTRACT
Objective: To analyse the quantification of protopine from Corydalis Decumbentis Rhizoma (CDR) extract in brain tissues of rats. Methods: A rapid, sensitive, and accurate analytical method based on rapid resolution liquid chromatography (RRLC) coupled with electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (Q-TOF-MS) was developed for the quantification of protopine in brain of rats. A simple liquid-liquid extraction process was employed for the sample preparation. Chromatographic separation was achieved using 1.8 μm porous particle columns. Results: The calibration curve of protopine was linear in the range of 12-897 ng/mL. The relative standard deviations of intra- and inter-day precision values were less than 10%. The extraction recoveries were 96.4%, 99.6%, and 98.5%, for protopine at the concentration of 598.0, 119.6, and 12.0 ng/mL, respectively, and internal standard (1.27 μg/mL) was (98.60 ± 0.02)%. Conclusion: The validated method is successfully applied for the determination of protopine in brain tissue of rats after ig administration of CDR extract. © 2014 Tianjin Press of Chinese Herbal Medicines.