Metabolism of sanguinarine in human and in rat: characterization of oxidative metabolites produced by human CYP1A1 and CYP1A2 and rat liver microsomes using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

The quaternary benzo[c]phenanthridine alkaloid, sanguinarine (SA), has been detected in the mustard oil contaminated with Argemone mexicana, which produced severe human intoxications during epidemic dropsy in India. Today, SA metabolism in human and in rat has not yet been fully elucidated. The goal of this study is to investigate the oxidative metabolites of SA formed during incubations with rat liver microsomes (RLM) and recombinant human cytochrome P450 (CYP) and to tentatively identify the CYP isoforms involved in SA detoxification.

Quantitative liquid chromatographic determination of sanguinarine in cell culture medium and in rat urine and plasma.

Sanguinarine is a quaternary benzo[c]phenanthridine alkaloid, extracted from the argemone oil, which produced severe human intoxications. To investigate the sanguinarine biotransformation, we develop a simple extraction process and a high performance liquid chromatographic separation coupled to a sensitive fluorometric detection of sanguinarine in cell culture medium, as well as in rat urine and plasma. After extraction with an acidified organic solvent, sanguinarine elution is performed within 15 min on a Nucleosil C18 column with a gradient using 0.