Determination of d -Psicose by LC-MS/MS and Its Absorption, Distribution, and Excretion in Rats

Abstract d-Psicose is a widely used noncaloric sweetener. However, its bioavailability in vivo remains unclear. This study first developed an HPLC-MS/MS method to detect d-psicose in biological samples and evaluated its pharmacokinetics, bioavailability, tissue distribution, and excretion. Under negative-ion mode, the limit of detection (LOD) of this method was 0.04 μg/mL, and the lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) was 0.1 μg/mL. After oral administration in rats, the plasma concentration of d-psicose was peaked at 1 h (76.5 ± 18.5 μg/g), with a bioavailability of 43.1%. d-psicose was mainly distributed in the stomach, jejunum, cecum, kidneys, and liver, with the content peaked at 15–60 min. Within 24 h, 29.9% and 11.6% of the dose were excreted in urine and feces. In conclusion, d-psicose is partially absorbed after oral administration, rapidly eliminated, and predominantly excreted via the kidneys and liver into urine and feces after intestinal absorption, with minimal accumulation in the body.