Abstract: AimTo develop a sensitive and specific HPLC method for the determination of crocin-1 in rabbit plasma, and study the pharmacokinetics in rabbit. MethodsAfter iv administration of crocin-1 in rabbit, the sample could be well purified after precipitation of protein with methanol. Waters spherisorb C18 column (250 mm×4.6 mm ID, 5 μm) was used and the mobile phase consisted of methanol-acetonitrile-1% aqueous acetic acid (15∶10∶50) at the flow rate of 1 mL·min^-1, and the UV detection wave length was 440 nm. The column temperature is 25 ℃. ResultsThe calibration curve was linear (r=0.999 7) in the range from 0.86 to 27.54 mg·L^-1 for crocin-1. The lowest detectable concentration of crocin-1 was 0.42 mg·L^-1. After given iv crocin-1 in rabbit, the concentration-time curves of crocin-1 was shown to fit two-compartment open model. ConclusionThis method is proved to be rapid, precise and reliable enough to be applied to the pharmacokinetics studies of crocin-1 in rabbit.