Efficient synthesis of deuterium-labelled Danshensu for quantitative bioanalysis

Danshensu (DSS) is a bioactive compound isolated from the Chinese herb Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae, which has been applied for the treatment of angina pectoris. The stable isotope-labelled DSS is required to be used for clinical studies and biological sample analysis. This study aims to synthesize deuterium-labelled DSS to change the status of DSS without internal standard, and to accelerate the research progress of DSS in vivo. An effective and convenient method for the synthesis of deuterium-labelled DSS was developed using Pd/C as a catalyst and D2O as a deuterium source. Our results showed that deuterium-labelled DSS with high deuterium incorporation has been achieved and could be used as internal standards in stable isotopic dilution MS/MS studies to accurately quantify DSS levels in biologic samples.