Parameters Ferulic acida (1 mg/kg) Ferulic acid b (1.5 mg/kg) FSS c (5 g/kg) Cmax(ng/mL) 948.00 ± 73.00 602.40 ± 111.80 1846.20 ± 533.14 tmax(h) ---- 0.08 ± 0.00 0.09 ± 0.05 t1/2 (h) 1.65 ± 0.53 2.59 ± 0.44 1.82 ± 1.09 Ke (L/h) 0.45 ± 0.13 0.28 ± 0.05 0.38 ± 0.12 AUC0-t(ng∙h/mL) 123.10 ± 12.18 129.80 ± 28.40 1007.86 ± 262.52 AUC0-∞(ng∙h/mL) 128.40 ± 8.93 144.50 ± 27.40 1211.08 ± 431.22 Relative BA   42.93%d   Absolute BA 61.07%e

The rats were oral administrated with FSS (5 g/kg) or ferulic acid (1.5 mg/kg), or intravenous injection of ferulic acid (1 mg/kg), the blood samples were collected according to the different time points from 2 to 360 min. The plasma were subjected to UPLC-MS/MS determination of different pharmacokinetic parameters (as in Figure 3), including Tmax, Cmax, T1/2, Ke, AUC0-t and AUC0-∞ of ferulic acid. Values are expressed in Mean ± SEM, n = 6. a A single intravenous of ferulic acid (1 mg/kg); b Oral administration of ferulic acid (1.5 mg/kg); c Oral administration of FSS (5 g/kg). d As compared to FSSc, use AUC0-t to calculate the relative BA of ferulic acid. e As compared to FSSc, use AUC0-t to calculate the absolute BA of ferulic acid.

Table 8: The main pharmacokinetic parameter of ferulic acid after oral administration of FSS