Simultaneous Determination of α- and γ-Mangostins in Mouse Plasma by HPLC-MS/MS Method: Application to a Pharmacokinetic Study of Mangosteen Extract in Mouse

Recently, extracts from the pericarp of mangosteen, Garcinia mangostana L., exhibited various pharmacological properties such as anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and chemopreventive activities. Albeit it has diverse application, there is little information about its pharmacokinetic aspects. Thus, the present study was undertaken to develop the simultaneous determination of alpha- and gamma-mangostins (alpha- and gamma-MG), major and active compounds, from extracts for the application of pharmacokinetic studies in mice using combined liquid chromatography-tandem mass-spectrometry and microsampling systems. The intra- and inter-validation, precision, accuracy, stability, recovery and matrix effects of alpha- and gamma-MG were conducted in mouse plasma. Based on the developed analytical methods, pharmacokinetic parameters of alpha- and gamma-MG after intravenous and oral administration of mangosteen extract were calculated. In sample preparation steps, the biological samples were deproteinized by acetonitrile and chromatographic separation was accomplished on a C-18 column. The detection was accomplished by multiple-reaction monitoring scanning after electrospray ionization source in the positive ionization mode. The optimized mass transition ion pairs (m/z) for quantitation were 411.062 -> 354.900, 397.384 -> 340.900, and 808.379 -> 527.200 for alpha- and gamma-MG and docetaxel (internal standard), respectively. The total run time was 5 min. The results provided a meaningful basis for the preclinical and clinical application of mangosteen extract.