Identification and analysis of components in Shen-Fu-Shu granule extract and in rat plasma after oral administration by UPLC-ESI/Q-TOF-MS

Abstract Background and objectives Shen-Fu-Shu granule is traditional Chinese herb formula for acute and chronic renal failure. This work was aimed to identify the compounds in Shen-Fu-Shu granule extract and absorbed compounds in rat plasma following oral administration of Shen-Fu-Shu granule. Methods A high-resolution and high-sensitivity ultra-performance liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry in positive and negative ion mode were established. The methodology of plasma pharmacochemistry was adopted to analyze the herbal components in vivo. A post-acquisition data processing software UNIFI could automatically, rapidly and accurately achieve the qualitative analysis of the chemical components in Shen-Fu-Shu granule extract and the absorbed components (and their metabolites) in rat plasma after oral administration of Shen-Fu-Shu granule. Results Combined with fragments and structure information of LC-Q-TOF-MS, a total of 264 compounds were detected and identified in Shen-Fu-Shu granule extract, while 66 absorbed components (including 38 prototype compounds and 28 metabolites) in plasma were discovered or tentatively characterized in rat plasma. Conclusions This study offers a systematically applicable approach for rapid screening and identification of absorbed components derived from multi-herb prescription. It is helpful for understanding the material basis of its therapeutic effects and provides useful information for further study of mechanism of action of Shen-Fu-Shu granule.