Objective: To study on the tissue distribution of five components from Xinshao formula in rats after administered intragastrically. Method: UPLC-MS/MS for the simultaneous determination of apigenin-7-O-glucronide

scutellarin

scutellarin aglycone

paeoniflorin and albiflorin in rat tissues was established.Rats were administered intragastrically Xinshao formula at a dose of 25 g·kg-1

and main tissues and organs were collected from rats at 20

90 min and 12

24 h after administration.After pretreatment

the concentrations of apigenin-7-O-glucronide

scutellarin

scutellarin aglycone

paeoniflorin and albiflorin in each organ of each time point were determined. Result: After being administered Xinshao formula

five components could be widely distributed in tissues and organs of rats.For apigenin-7-O-glucronide

its concentration peaked in the lung and heart at 20 min with 48.2

59.8 μg·L-1; peaked in the brain and small intestine at 90 min with 138.7

292.7 μg·L-1;peaked in kidney and muscle at 12 h with 517.3

56.5 μg·L-1;peaked in the liver at 24 h with 352.9 μg·L-1.For scutellarin

its concentration peaked in the heart at 20 min with 38.3 μg·L-1;peaked in the lung

brain

small intestine and kidney at 90 min with 30.6

220.0

1 644.2

859.5 μg·L-1;peaked in the muscle at 12 h with 86.9 μg·L-1 and in the liver at 24 h with 344.8 μg·L-1.For scutellarin aglycone

its concentration peaked in the brain

small intestine and muscle at 90 min with 875.4

52 468.0

5 114.7 μg·L-1;peaked in lung

heart and kidney at 12 h with 609.7

1 718.6

1 736.5 μg·L-1 and peaked in the liver at 24 h with 1 366.5 μg·L-1.For paeoniflorin

its concentration reached peaks in the lung

liver

kidney and muscle at 20 min with 10 634.1

13 889.0

16 672.0

7 750.4 μg·L-1;and reached in the heart

small intestine and brain at 90 min with 6 851.1

870 563.9

7 474.0 μg·L-1.For albiflorin

its concentration peaked in the liver and kidney at 20 min with 15 249.7

56 817.0 μg·L-1;peaked in the lung

heart

brain

small intestine and muscle at 90 min with 4 211.5

4 425.3

4 631.3

631 871.5

5 673.6 μg·L-1. Conclusion: After the rats administered intragastrically Xinshao formula

its five components could be widely and quickly distributed in various tissues and organs;however

there are differences in the peak time and distribution of these five components.The five representative components have the highest distribution in the kidney and small intestine

followed by the liver and muscle tissues

but also in the brain.Moreover

apigenin-7-O-glucronide

scutellarin

scutellarin aglycone may accumulate in the rat liver when the time of drug administered is extended.