Quantitative determination of mogroside V in rat plasma by LC-MS/MS and its application to a pharmacokinetic study

Mogroside V is the most abundant (approximately 0.50%) cucurbitane-type triterpene glycoside in Siraitia grosvenorii and exhibits significant antitussive, expectorant, anti-carcinogenic, and anti-inflammatory effects. A sensitive, robust and selective liquid chromatography tandem with mass spectrbmefry (LC-MS/MS) was developed and validated for the determination and pharmacokinetic investigation of mogroside V in rat plasma. Samples were prepared through an one-step deproteinization procedure with 250 mu L of methanol to a 75-mu L plasma sample. Plasma samples were effectively separated on a Shiseido Capcell Pak UG120 C-18 column (2.0 x 50mm, 3.0 mu m) using a mobile phase consisting of methanol: water (60:40, v/v) with an isocratic elution program. The running time for each sample was 7.0 min and the elution times of mogroside V and IS were 2.0 and 4.8 min, respectively. The detection relied on a triple-quadrupole tandem with mass spectrometer equipped with negative-ion electrospray ionization interface by selected reaction monitoring (SRM) of the transitions at m/z 1285.6 -> 1123.7 for mogroside V and m/z 1089.6 -> 649.6 for IS. The calibration curve was linear over the range of 96.0-96000ng/mL with a limit of quantitation (LOQ) of 96.0ng/mL. Intra-day and inter-day precisions were both <10.1%. Mean recovery and matrix effect of mogroside V in plasma were in the range of 91.3-95.7% and 98.2-105.0%, respectively. This method was successfully applied in the pharmacokinetic study of mogroside V after intravenous or intraperitoneal administration of 1.12mg/kg mogroside V in rats.