Screening of permeable compounds in Flos Lonicerae Japonicae with liposome using ultrafiltration and HPLC.

A new method for the screening of membrane-permeable compounds in traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs), using ultrafiltration and HPLC analysis, has been proposed. We hypothesized that exposure of a TCM extract to a liposome membrane, the concentration of membrane-permeable compounds in the solution should decrease. Using this approach, the permeability of compounds in Flos Lonicerae Japonicae (Japanese honeysuckle) was investigated. By comparing chromatograms of samples prepared before and after interaction with a liposome membrane, eight permeable compounds of Flos Lonicerae Japonicae were identified, and all of them were proven to be biologically active. Based on the significance of these results, this method could be a novel approach for identifying potentially bioactive components in other TCMs.