Abstract: To establish an ultra-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass (UHPLC/Q-TOF MS/MS) method for analyzing the metabolites of main component in Inula cappa extract in rat bile after oral administration.Cannulas were surgically inserted into the bile duct of SD rats and bile was collected for 12 h after oral administration of active fractions of I.cappa at a dose of 100 g/kg of the material.After n-butyl alcohol precipitation treatment,the chemicals and their metabolites in rat bile were identified using UHPLC/Q-TOF MS/MS with selected reaction monitoring mode.The results revealed that twenty-seven metabolites were determined in bile,main metabolites are hydrogenation,methylation and glucuronidation of caffeoylquinic acid.It indicated that the chemicals can occur biotransformation in bile,the metabolic pathways mainly are methylation and demethylation glucuronidation.

Key words: Inula cappa, active fraction, UHPLC/Q-TOF MS/MS, metabolitescaffeoylquinic acid