Simultaneous determination of multiple components in rat plasma and pharmacokinetic studies at a pharmacodynamic dose of Xian-Ling-Gu-Bao capsule by UPLC-MS/MS.

•An UPLC-MS/MS method was developed for simultaneous determination of multiple components of XLGB at pharmacodynamic doses.•The pharmacokinetic characteristics of multiple components of XLGB were successfully achieved in rat plasma.•The LLOQs of multiple components reached 0.01–2.5 ng/mL.•Psoralen, isopsoralen, magnoflorine, epimedin C, sweroside and asperosaponin VI were taken as the key effective substances.•The reversed PD-PK strategy was proposed and successfully applied in discovery of pharmacodynamic ingredients of XLGB.