Characterization of metabolic profile of Dazhu Hongjingtian and evaluation of its anti-hypoxic constituents

Dazhu Hongjingtian (DZ) is renowned for its diverse pharmacological activities, yet its metabolic pathways remain to be fully elucidated. In this study, the metabolic profile after oral administration of DZ extract (DZE) in rats was systematically identified by the UPLC/Q-TOF-MS/MS method for the first time. A total of 94 components, including 32 prototypes and 62 metabolites, were tentatively characterized in rat plasma and various tissues samples. Furthermore, 6 constituents (salidroside, quercetin, 4-hydroxycinnamic acid, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, p-tyrosol, and gallic acid) derived from plasma prototypes were identified as bioactive by assessing cell viabilities of OGD-injured RSC96 cells.