Objective: To observe the effect of combination of Chinese herbal drugs on bioavailability of Ligusticum walichii (LW) derived ferulic acid (FA) in serum.
Methods: Healthy volunteers were given LW decoction (1 g/kg), LW combined with Paeonia veitchii (PV, 1:1) decoction (2 g/kg) and Coronary Heart No. 2 (CH-II, 3 g/kg, containing LW 0.5 g/kg) once respectively. The serum FA concentration-time (c-t) curve was performed by HPLC using the method established by the authors, and the area under that curve (AUC) was calculated and compared.
Results: The FA c-t curve in the three groups was double peak curve. As compared with the AUC in subjects who were administered LW decoction, the AUC in those taken LW + PV decoction was lower [(15734.88 +/- 7737.97) ng/(min.ml) vs (5717.92 +/- 6124.63) ng/(min.ml)], P < 0.05), while that in those taken CH-II was relatively higher [(8072.00 +/- 4424.31) ng/(min.ml), P > 0.05)].
Conclusion: Combination of LW and PV could significantly lower the bioavailability of FA, but when LW was added in CH-II, the FA bioavailability was not affected.