Liquid chromatography/atmospheric pressure chemical ionization ion trap mass spectrometry of terpene lactones in plasma of animals

Liquid chromatography/atmospheric pressure chemical ionization ion trap mass spectrometry (LC/APCI-ITMS) was applied to evaluate the bioavailibility of two different forms (free and complexed with soy phospholipids) of pure bilobalide and ginkgolide B in rats after acute administration. The same technique was used to measure the levels of ginkgolide A, B and bilobalide in plasma of guinea pigs fed Ginkgo biloba extract enriched in terpene lactones after chronic administration. The ratio R(P)/R(A) increased two to four times after the administration in the phytosomic form, where R(P) and R(A) represent the percentage ratio between the concentration of each terpene lactone in plasma and in the administrated form, respectively