A novel method was developed for the determination of aucubin in rat serum by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) with supramolecular solvent (SUPRAS)-based dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME). The SUPRAS was prepared with pentanol as extraction solvent and tetrahydrofuran as dispersing agent. Based on single factor test and response surface methodology, critical parameters were optimized as: 1 mL of pentanol as extraction solvent, 4 mL of tetrahydrofuran as dispersing agent, 200 μL of SUPRAS, and vortex duration of 2.5 min. The established method was validated in terms of selectivity, linearity, accuracy, precision, recovery, stability, and applied to a pharmacokinetic study on type 1 diabetes model rats intraperitoneally administered with aucubin. The experimental results showed that the maximum concentration in serum (Cmax) and area under the serum concentration versus time curve (AUC) of aucubin in type 1 diabetic rats were higher than those in normal rats. Such pharmacokinetic alterations might presumably result from the pathological state of type 1 diabetes. The current study may provide scientific evidence and inspiring insights for clinical application of aucubin for the treatment of diabetes.
Keywords: Aucubin; Diabetes; Dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction; Pharmacokinetics; Supramolecular solvent; Tandem mass spectrometry; Ultra-performance liquid chromatography.
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