ABSTRACT
The measurement of androgen steroids has been utilized as a clinical indicator of adrenal function, androgen abuse, and as a prediction of general health or biological aging. An improved high-performance liquid chromatography-ion trap mass spectroscopic method with sonic spray ionization (SSI) technology for the quantification of individual urinary 17-ketosteroid sulfates and glucuronides was developed and validated. Sample preparation was simplified using a C18 cartridge followed by direct injection onto a reversed-phase HPLC column. Individual 17-ketosteroid from 63 urinary specimens collected in a 24-h period was measured. 17-Ketosteroid conjugates, total 17-KS-S and the ratio of total 17-KS-S to creatinine referred to herein as the Anabolic/Catabolic Index (ACI) showed statistically significant negative correlations with age.
Subject(s)
Androgens/urine , Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods , Glucuronides/urine , Mass Spectrometry/methods , Sulfates/urine , Adult , Aged , Androgens/chemistry , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Reproducibility of Results , Sensitivity and SpecificityABSTRACT
A new iridoid, pikuroside (1), was isolated from the roots of Picrorhiza kurroa, together with three known iridoids, picroside I (2), picroside II (3), and 6-feruloyl catalpol (4). The structure of 1 was established by interpretation and full assignments of NMR spectral data. Pikuroside (1) had no antiinflammatory activity, although the crude extract and picroside II (3) demonstrated moderate activity.
