Exploration of material basis: Chemical composition profile, metabolic profile and pharmacokinetic characteristics in Xingbei Zhike granule

Xingbei Zhike granule (XBZK), a widely prescribed Chinese patent medicine, is known for its efficacy in clearing lung qi, relieving cough and reducing phlegm, as well as fever, dry and bitter taste, and irritability. Despite its clinical popularity, comprehensive investigations into its chemical composition, in vivo metabolism, and pharmacokinetic characteristics are limited. This study investigates the chemical composition, in vivo metabolism, and in vivo dynamics of XBZK to clarify its material basis and pharmacokinetic characteristics. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with Orbitrap tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-Orbitrap-MS) was used to determine the chemical composition and in vivo metabolic profile of XBZK. Additionally, UPLC with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UPLC-TQ-MS/MS) was performed to quantify its main components and evaluate its in vivo dynamics in rat plasma. In total, 57 components were identified in XBZK. Furthermore, 40 prototype components and 31 metabolites were detected in various biological matrices of rats, including plasma, tissues, bile, feces, and urine. After administration, the area under the curve (AUC) for ephedrine (Eph), pseudoephedrine (Peph), neotuberostemonine (Neo), amygdalin (Amy), and enoxolone (Eno) exhibited a strong linear relationship with the administered dose (r > 0.9) in all rats. And gender-related differences in the absorption of peiminine (Pmn), peimisine (Pms), and chrysin-7-O-glucuronide (Cog) were notable among rats, with male rats showing a dose-dependent pattern of absorption, while female rats exhibited minimal absorption. XBZK contains 57 components, primarily composed of flavonoids, alkaloids, and coumarins. The eight main components were rapidly absorbed and eliminated, with some, such as Eph, Peph, Neo, Amy and Eno, following a linear pharmacokinetic pattern. Furthermore, Pmn, Pms and Cog were well absorbed in male rats, showing a dose-dependent behavior.