A HPLC method for the analysis of germacrone in rabbit plasma and its application to a pharmacokinetic study of germacrone after administration of zedoary turmeric oil

A validated new, simple and highly sensitive reversed-phase HPLC method is developed for studying the pharmacokinetics of germacrone after intravenous administration of zedoary turmeric oil (ZTO) oil-in-water microemulsion. The method did not require a complex and expensive equipment. A high extraction recovery (>80%) of germacrone was obtained. Linear calibration curves obtained with the peak-area ratio (y) of germacrone to internal standard (tanshinoneIIA) versus drug concentration (x) were found to be linear between 8.08 and 808 ng/ml. The limit of quantitation was 8.08 ng/ml.The monitored compounds were completely separated from others in ZTO and from endogenous species in plasma by HPLC. Pharmacokinetic investigations were performed on 18 male rabbits after intravenous administration of ZTO microemulsion via the ear vein at germacrone doses of 3.2, 6.4 and 9.6 mg/kg. The plasma concentration–time data fit to a two-compartment intravenous model with a weight of 1/C2 (C: germacrone concentration in plasma). Germacrone exhibited linear pharmacokinetics after intravenous administration of ZTO microemulsion to rabbits over the germacrone dose range 3.2–9.6 mg/ml.