Effects of arteannuin B, arteannuic acid and scopoletin on pharmacokinetics of artemisinin in mice

ObjectiveTo explore the effects of arteannuin B, arteannuic acid and scopoletin on the pharmacokinetics of artemisinin in mice.MethodsArtemisinin and a combination of artemisinin, arteannuin B, arteannuic acid and scopoletin were administered together to mice via oral administration. Blood samples were collected at different time intervals and pretreated by liquid–liquid extraction. The contents of four compounds in mouse plasma were determined by a validated HPLC-MS/MS method.ResultsCompared to single artemisinin group, the Cmax values from the combination group rose from 947 ng/mL to 1 254 ng/mL. AUC(0-t) (2 371 h ng/mL) was significantly higher than that from single artemisinin group (747 h ng/mL). The peak time lag and the CL values reduced at a proportion of 66%.ConclutionsArteannuin B, arteannuic acid and scopoletin can markedly affect the pharmacokinetics of artemisinin.