GAS CHROMATOGRAPHIC-MASS SPECTROMETRIC DETERMINATION OF 20(S)-PROTOPANAXADIOL AND 20(S)-PROTOPANAXATRIOL FOR STUDY ON HUMAN URINARY-EXCRETION OF GINSENOSIDES AFTER INGESTION OF GINSENG PREPARATIONS

An improved gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric method (GC-MS) with a fast solid-phase extraction on a newly introduced C-18 microcolumn, was applied to study the urinary excretion of 20(S)-protopanaxatriol and 20(S)-protopanaxatriol glycosides in man after oral administration of ginseng preparations. Using panaxatriol as internal standard, 20(S )-protopanaxadiol and 20(S)-protopanaxatriol (the aglycones of ginseno sides) could be determined at a detection level of a few ng per mi uri ne by GC-MS with selected-ion monitoring after their release from glyc osides which occur in urine. The extraction recovery of ginsenosides f rom urine was more than 80% and the intra-assay coefficient of variati on was less than 5.0%. The results after intake of single doses of gin seng preparations demonstrated a linear relation between the amounts o f ginsenosides consumed and the 20(S)-protopanaxatriol glycosides excr eted in urine. About 1.2% of the dose was recovered in five days.