Pharmacokinetics of Caffeic Acid from Methanol Seed Extract of Syzygium cumini L in Rats

Purpose: To describe caffeic acid-based pharmacokinetics of methanol extract of seed of Syzygium cumini L. in rats. Methods: A dose of the extract (500 mg, equivalent to 37.135 mg caffeic acid) was administered orally to 6 male Wister rats, weighing 200 ± 10 g. Blood samples (0.5 mL), collected from the tail vein at 0, 15, 30, 60, 120, 240 and 720 min, were processed and analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography and detected with florescent light detector (FLD). Results: Following the administration of the extract, caffeic acid achieved maximum plasma concentration (5.96 ± 0.49 μg/mL) in 1.0 h which was also the time to achieve maximum concentration (Tmax). Mean resident time (MRT) and half-life (t1/2) were 4.092 ± 0.94 h and 0.14 ± 0.01 h, respectively. Conclusion: The results indicate that absorption of caffeic acid from the oral route is fast, but lower amounts are absorbed. The method developed for the extraction of caffeic acid from the plasma and HPLC determination may be useful in establishing phyto-bioequivalence between Syzygium cumini seed products.