The pharmacokinetics, bioavailability and excretion of bergapten after oral and intravenous administration in rats using high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection

A sensitive, specific, reproducible and optimized high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD) method for the determination of bergapten in rat plasma was established and applied to the pharmacokinetic and bioavailability study in rat after oral and intravenous administration of bergapten. The method was also successfully applied to the excretion study of bergapten after an oral administration of bergapten at a dose of 15 mg kg(−1) to rats. The sample preparation was achieved using liquid–liquid extraction. Isoimperatorin was used as the internal standard (IS). The analytes were detected by using fluorescence detection at an excitation and emission wavelength of 288 and 478 nm, respectively. Using aqueous formic acid (0.1 %, v/v) and acetonitrile as the mobile phase, the chromatographic separation was achieved on a Hedera™ ODS column at a flow rate of 1 mL min(−1). The lower limit of quantitation (LLOQ) of bergapten was 2 ng mL(−1). The HPLC-FLD method was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic, bioavailability and excretion study of bergapten in rats. [Figure: see text]