Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of citrus peel extract in lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury combined with Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum

Dry citrus peel (Chenpi) is not only consumed as a dietary supplement, but also used for the treatment of respiratory diseases. Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum (Banxia) is always used with Chenpi for the treatment of respiratory diseases, but β-sitosterol, the main active component in Banxia, as a food additive, shows no respiratory system activity. In the present study, the pharmacokinetic characters showed that the absorption of the active components of Chenpi was accelerated under pathological conditions combined with Banxia. Although the bioavailability of active components did not significantly change, the distribution of active components in tissues increased, particularly in the target organ. These results are consistent with the combination of Chenpi with β-sitosterol. Furthermore, the pharmacodynamics result also indicated that Chenpi combined with Banxia or β-sitosterol was able to ameliorate histopathologic damage and decrease the levels of inflammatory factors. The results suggest that pharmacokinetic interactions improve the pharmacological activity of Chenpi in respiratory diseases.