Baicalein 6-O-β-d-Glucopyranuronoside Is a Main Metabolite in the Plasma after Oral Administration of Baicalin, a Flavone Glucuronide of Scutellariae Radix, to Rats

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Baicalin (BG) and its aglycone, baicalein (B) are strong antioxidants that exert various pharmacological actions and show unique metabolic fates in the rat. The aim of the present study was to identify major metabolite(s) besides BG in rat plasma after oral administration of BG or B. The main metabolite was detected by HPLC equipped with an electrochemical detector at a potential of +500 mV and identified as baicalein 6-O-β-d-glucopyranuronoside (B6G) by HPLC/MS/MS. When BG at a dose of 20 mg/kg was administered orally to Wistar rats, the level of B6G in plasma was higher than that of BG. Cmax and the area under the concentration–curve from 0 to 24 h (AUC0–24 h) values of the plasma B6G were 1.66±0.34 µm and 19.8±3.9 µm·h, respectively, whereas those of BG were 0.853±0.065 µm and 10.0±3.1 µm·h, respectively. When B was administered, similar results were also obtained. B6G-producing activities from B were found in microsomes of both rat jejunum and liver, in spite of the low activity. Rat everted jejunal sacs formed B6G after application of B, but only in a small amount that was excreted into the mucosal side, and not the serosal side, indicating little contribution to the appearance of B6G in plasma. On the other hand, when B was injected into the rat portal vein, B6G was detected at a higher level than BG in the systemic circulation, demonstrating the hepatic contribution to the appearance of plasma B6G.