Pharmacokinetics of vitexin in rats after intravenous and oral administration

Vitexin was isolated from the leaves of Crataegus pinnatifida Bge. var major, and its pharmacokinetics and bioavailability were carried out via validated high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method using hesperidin as internal standard in healthy rats after intravenous and oral administration at a dose of 10 mg/kg and 30 mg/kg, respectively. The pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated by both compartmental and non-compartmental approach. When intravenous administration was used, the elimination half-life (t(1/2 beta)), the mean residence (MRT0 -> t), the total body clearance (CL) were 46.01 +/- 0.810 min, 26.23 +/- 1.51 min and 0.031 +/- 0.035 L/kg.min. When oral administration was used, the t(max) and C-max were 15.82 +/- 0.172 min and 0.51 +/- 0.015 mu g/ml, the MRT0 -> t and CL were 60.41 +/- 5.41 min and 0.71 +/- 0.056 L/kg.min. The result showed that vitexin was rapidly eliminated and presented a low absolute bioavailability (F), 4.91 +/- 0.761%.