Analysis on the metabolites of mesaconitine in the rat urine by liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

The mesaconitine and its major metabolites in the rat urine were identified by liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry.  The rat urine was collected for consecutive 24 hours from the rat following intragastric infusion of mesaconitine, subsequently which were enriched and purified   using solid phase extraction.  The metabolites of mesaconitine in the rat urine were analyzed by the liquid  chromatography and electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry.  It is shown that the parent drug    mesaconitine and its metabolites were found in the rat urine, such as hypo-mesaconitine glucuronic acid conjugate, 10-hydroxy-mesaconitine, 1-O-demethyl mesaconitine, deoxy-mesaconitine and hypo-mesaconitine.  Among the five of metabolites, the hypo-mesaconitine glucuronic acid conjugate (m/z 766) was first discovered as the aconitine in rats phase II metabolites, which revealed a new way of mesaconitine metabolism in rats.