UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS was used to identify metabolites in rat blood, urine and feces after the administration of n-butanol extract derived from steamed notoginseng. The metabolic process of saponins came from steamed notoginseng was analyzed. The metabolites were processed by PeakView software, and identified according to the structural characteristics of prototype compounds and the accurate qualitative and quantitative changes of common metabolic pathways. Four saponins metabolites were identified based on MS/MS information of metabolites, namely ginsenoside Rh₄, Rk₃, Rk₁, Rg₅,and their 15 metabolites were verified. The metabolic pathways of the four ginsenosides in n-butanol extract included glucuronidation, desugar, sulfation, dehydromethylation, and branch loss. The metabolites of main active saponin components derived from steamed Panax notoginseng were analyzed from the perspective of qualitative analysis. And the material basis for the efficacy of steamed notoginseng was further clarified.
Keywords: UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS; ginsenoside Rh₄, Rk₃, Rk₁, Rg₅; identification of metabolites; n-butanol extract derived from Panax notoginseng; transformation mode.
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