High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of xanthohumol in rat plasma, urine, and fecal samples

Xanthohumol (XN) is the major prenylated flavonoid in hop plants and as such a constituent of beer. Pharmacological studies have shown that XN possesses marked antioxidant and antiproliferative effects. In order to study the resorption and metabolism of this compound, reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography is used for the determination of XN in rat plasma, urine, and feces. In session one, rats receive either oral or intravenous (iv) administration (20 mg/kg body weight) of XN. In session two, rats receive oral administration of 50, 100, 200, 400, and 500 mg/kg body weight XN for bioavailability studies at various dose levels. Plasma, urine, and feces are collected at varying time points and assayed for their XN content. Plasma levels of XN fell rapidly within 60 min after iv administration; no XN is detected in plasma after oral administration in either session. XN and its metabolites are excreted mainly in feces within 24 h of administration. The method is a reliable tool for performing studies of XN in different biological material.