Determination of eugenitin in mouse blood by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and its application to a pharmacokinetic study

Eugenitin is a non-volatile chromone derivative which is always found in dried flower buds of Syzygium aromaticum L. (Merr.) & L.M. Perry. Until now, there were no reports about the pharmacokinetics of eugenitin in biological fluids. A UPLC-MS/MS method developed to determine eugenitin in mouse blood. The blood samples were prepared by protein precipitation with acetonitrile. Chrysin (internal standard, IS) and eugenitin were gradient eluted by mobile phase of acetonitrile and water (0.1% formic acid) in a BEH C18 column. The multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) of m/z 221.1-*206.0 for eugenitin and m/z 255.1-*152.9 for IS with an electrospray ionization (ESI) source was used for quantitative detection. The calibration curve ranged from 0.5 to 500 ng/mL (r > 0.995). The accuracy ranged from 98 to 113%, the precision was less than 12%, and the matrix effect was between 86 and 94%, the recovery was better than 81%. The developed method was successfully used for pharmacokinetics of eugenitin in mice after intravenous (5 mg/kg) and oral (20 mg/kg) administration, and the absolute availability of eugenitin was 12%.