Pharmacokinetics and Tissue Distribution of Palmatine after Single Intramuscular Injection in Partridge Shank Chickens

Palmatine is an isoquinoline alkaloid isolated from many medicinal plants with diverse pharmacological activities, with potential for the treatment of chronic metabolic disorders and infectious diseases. In the present study, a highly rapid, simple, and sensitive ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with an ultra-violet (UPLC-UV) method was developed and validated for the pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of palmatine following single intramuscular injection to Partridge Shank chickens. The process was sensitive, with a lower limit of quantification and good linearity over the range of 0.005-10 µg/mL for UPLC-UV in all biological matrices. Following a single intramuscular dose of 5 mg/kg b.w, palmatine was absorbed quickly and reached peak concentration (0.24 µg/mL) at 0.19 h and was still present in plasma at 12 h with a concentration of 0.011 µg/mL. The CL/F and Vd/F were 10.43 L·h^-1·kg ^-1 and 56.69 L/kg, respectively. The C_max values of palmatine in tissues decreased as follows: kidneys > liver > spleen > heart > lung > muscles, and were almost completely cleared from lungs 26 h after administration and were not detectable or significantly reduced in other tissues after 48 h. The results can provide a basis for exploring the therapeutic potential of palmatine and looking for new ways of wide clinical applications in poultry farming.