OBJECTIVETo investigate the pharmacokinetic and distribution character of scutellarin in plasma and tissues in rats, in order to provide some references for rational drug use in the clinic.

METHODThe solution of scutellarin was administered to rats (80 mg x kg(-1)) by oral gavage. A high performance liquid chromatography method determinated the scutellarin concentration in rat plasma and tissue. The plasma samples were performed by solid phase extraction method. The other biological samples were extracted by ethyl acetate.

RESULTThe range of scutellarin in plasma and tissue in rats were 10-1280 ng x mL(-1) (R2 > 0.99), 40-1280 ng x g(-1) (R2 > 0.99), respectively. The lowest detection of scutellarin were 10 ng x mL(-1) and 40 ng x g(-1), the precision were less than 8%. The main pharmacokinetic parameters of scutellarin were as follows: tmax, Cmax, AUC and MRT being (7.7 +/- 0.9) h, (288.0 +/- 75.2) microg x L(-1), (5.6 +/- 1.6) microg x mL(-1) x h(-1), (17.5 +/- 1.4) h(-1), respectively.

CONCLUSIONThese methods applied the study of pharmacokinetics of scutellarin. After oral the scutellarin in rats, the concentration-time course doesn't obey any compartment model. The concentration-time curve is the double peaks.