Poliumoside is representative of phenylethanoid glycosides, which are widely found
in many plants. Poliumoside is also regarded as the main active component of Callicarpa
kwangtungensis Chun (CK), though its oral bioavailability in rat is extremely low
(0.69%) and its in vivo and in vitro metabolism has not yet been systematically
investigated. In the present study, an ultra performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole
time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/Q-TOF-MS) method was employed to identify the
metabolites and investigate the metabolic pathways of poliumoside in rat after oral
administration 1.5 g·kg –1 of poliumoside. As a result, a total of 34 metabolites
(30 from urine, 17 from plasma, and 4 from bile) and 9 possible metabolic pathways
(rearrangment, reduction, hydration, hydrolyzation, dehydration, methylation, hydroxylation,
acetylation, and sulfation) were proposed in vivo. The main metabolite, acteoside,
was quantified after incubated with rat intestinal bacteria in vitro. In conclusion,
the present study systematically explored the metabolites of poliumoside in vivo
and in vitro, proposing metabolic pathways that may be significant for further metabolic
studies of poliumoside.