At a fundamental level, the broad application of raw and stir-fried Arctii Fructus products as anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory agents is commonly recognized. In order to understand some of the discrepancies pertaining to their therapeutic functions, an associated study of pharmacokinetics is required. In this study, a reliable ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) method was initially developed for the concurrent determination of seven compounds from Arctii Fructus in plasma. By virtue of its acceptable performance, the developed method was incorporated in assessing the pharmacokinetic differences of the compounds following the oral administration of raw and stir-fried Arctii Fructus. Subsequently, the results highlighted potential improvements to the exposure of the seven compounds, and the enriched bioavailability of arctiin through the process of stir-frying, which are deemed essential constituents of Arctii Fructus. This study represents the initial attempt at assessing the influence of stir-frying on the pharmacokinetic behaviors of the primary Arctii Fructus composition. Furthermore, the results could be instrumental in expanding the clinical applications of diverse Arctii Fructus products, and reveal the inherent processing mechanism.
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