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Murine metabolism and absorption of lancemaside A, an active compound in the roots of Codonopsis lanceolata

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Abstract

Lancemaside A, a triterpenoid saponin isolated from the roots of Codonopsis lanceolata, has been reported to ameliorate the reduction of blood testosterone levels induced by immobilization stress in mice. In the present study, we investigated the metabolism and absorption of lancemaside A in mice. After oral administration of lancemaside A at 100 mg/kg body weight, the unmetabolized compound appeared rapidly in plasma (t max = 0.5 h). Lancemaside A has a low bioavailability (1.1%) because of its metabolism by intestinal bacteria and its poor absorption in the gastrointestinal tract. Furthermore, we identified four metabolites from the cecum of mice after oral administration of lancemaside A: codonolaside II, echinocystic acid, echinocystic acid 28-O-β-d-xylopyranosyl-(1 → 4)-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-α-l-arabinopyranosyl ester, and echinocystic acid 28-O-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-α-l-arabinopyranosyl ester. Among these metabolites, codonolaside II and echinocystic acid were detected in plasma, and their t max values were 4 and 8 h, respectively. These findings should be helpful for understanding the mechanism of the biological effect of lancemaside A.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Healthcare Research Institute, Wakunaga Pharmaceutical Company, Ltd., 1624 Shimokotachi, Kodacho, Akitakata, Hiroshima, 739-1195, Japan

    Noriko Komoto, Makoto Ichikawa, Sanae Ohta, Daisuke Nakano, Takeshi Nishihama, Mitsuyasu Ushijima, Yukihiro Kodera & Minoru Hayama

  2. Laboratory of Pharmacognosy and Natural Product Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Kagawa Campus, Tokushima Bunri University, 1314-1 Shido, Sanuki, Kagawa, 769-2193, Japan

    Osamu Shirota & Setsuko Sekita

  3. Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, Prefectural University of Hiroshima, 562 Nanatsuka, Shobara, Hiroshima, 727-0023, Japan

    Masanori Kuroyanagi

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  1. Noriko Komoto
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  2. Makoto Ichikawa
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  3. Sanae Ohta
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  4. Daisuke Nakano
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  5. Takeshi Nishihama
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  6. Mitsuyasu Ushijima
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  8. Minoru Hayama
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  9. Osamu Shirota
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  10. Setsuko Sekita
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  11. Masanori Kuroyanagi
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Correspondence to Noriko Komoto.

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Komoto, N., Ichikawa, M., Ohta, S. et al. Murine metabolism and absorption of lancemaside A, an active compound in the roots of Codonopsis lanceolata . J Nat Med 64, 321–329 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11418-010-0415-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11418-010-0415-8

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