Exploring the Pharmacokinetics and Bioavailability of Naturally Occurring Picroside-II Through Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (UHPLC) and Mass Spectrometry Analysis

Picroside II (PK-II), the primary bioactive iridoid glycoside derived from Picrorhiza kurroa, has attracted significant interest for its diverse range of biological activity. The aim is to develop a UHPLC-MS/MS method that is efficient, accurate, and responsive in measuring the concentration of PK-II in rat plasma. Sixty rats were administered a dose of PK-II (10 mg/kg intravenously and 20 mg/kg orally), and the results were determined using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (UHPLC–MS/MS) in negative-ion mode. Blood samples were collected at time intervals of 0.083, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, and 24 hours. The newly developed method demonstrated significant selectivity, accuracy, and rapidity (10 min) for the quantitative measurement of PK-II in biological samples. These results have implications for a better understanding of the pharmacokinetic effect of PK-II, which will be beneficial in its research and development.