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A comparison of the distribution of two glycyrrhizic acid epimers in rat tissues

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Summary

The distribution characteristics of two glycyrrhizic acid (GL) epimers, i.e. αa-GL and β-GL in rat tissues were examined. At 5, 15, 30, 60, and 180 min after i.v. administration of a single α-GL or β-GL injection (21.0 mg/kg) in rats, the concentrations of these epimers in rat tissues were determined by reverse phase-high performance liquid chromatography(RP-HPLC) using the internal standard method. α-GL and β-GL were both rapidly distributed in the tissues. The concentrations of α-GL in the liver were significantly higher than those of β-GL, but were lower than or similar to those of β-GL in the other tissues. The concentrations of α-GL in all the tissues declined rapidly, and were lower than or similar to the detection limit for quantification at 180 min after i.v. administration. However, β-GL concentrations remained rather high in the tissues, and maintained 10–50% of their peak value. According to these results, distinct differences were found in the distribution and metabolism in the rat tissues after i.v. administration of the two GL epimers, with these differences being closely related to the different configuration of a-GL and β-GL.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, 210029, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China

    Chun-Xiang Zeng, Qing Yang & Qin Hu

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  1. Chun-Xiang Zeng
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  2. Qing Yang
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  3. Qin Hu
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Zeng, CX., Yang, Q. & Hu, Q. A comparison of the distribution of two glycyrrhizic acid epimers in rat tissues. European Journal of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics 31, 253–258 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03190464

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03190464

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