RESUMEN
Objective:An ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with Orbitrap Fusion Lumos Tribrid mass spectrometry (UPLC-Orbitrap Fusion Lumos Tribrid-MS) was applied to analyze the prototypes and their metabolites of Phellodendri Amurensis Cortex aqueous extract in the serum, urine and feces of normal rats, and to investigate the pharmacodynamic material basis of Phellodendri Amurensis<italic> </italic>Cortex in rats. Method:Chromatographic separation was performed on the ACQUITY UPLC<sup>®</sup> CSH<sup>TM</sup> C<sub>18</sub> column (2.1 mm×100 mm, 1.7 μm) with the mobile phase of 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution (A)-acetonitrile (B) for gradient elution (0-15 min, 2%-25%B; 15-25 min, 25%-50%B; 25-28 min, 50%-98%B), flow rate was 0.3 mL·min<sup>-1</sup>, the injection volume was 10 μL and the column temperature was 40 ℃. Heated electrospray ionization (HESI) was used to collect data in the positive ion modes with the scanning range of <italic>m</italic>/<italic>z</italic> 100-1 000. By comparing chromatogram differences between the blank samples and the samples after administration, prototypes and their metabolites of biological samples after oral administration of Phellodendri Amurensis Cortex aqueous extract were identified. Result:After oral administration of Phellodendri Amurensis Cortex aqueous extract, a total of 70 compounds including 15 prototypes and 55 metabolites in rat serum, urine and feces were detected. Among them, 15 prototypes included 12 alkaloids and 3 limonoids, and 55 metabolites included 52 alkaloids and 3 limonoids. Desaturation, methylation, oxidation, sulfonation and glucuronide conjugation were observed as the primary metabolic pathways for the chemical constituents of Phellodendri Amurensis Cortex aqueous extract. Conclusion:Alkaloids in Phellodendri Amurensis Cortex aqueous extract undergo phase Ⅰ and phase Ⅱ metabolism in rats, and limonoids mainly undergo phase Ⅰ metabolism in rats. This paper can provide experimental basis for further analyzing the process <italic>in vivo</italic> of Phellodendri Amurensis Cortex and elucidating its pharmacodynamic substance basis<italic>.</italic>