Artemisinin concentrations in venous plasma, capillary plasma and saliva were compared. Eighteen Vietnamese adults with uncomplicated falciparum malaria were treated with artemisinin. Artemisinin concentrations in saliva were comparable to its unbound levels in plasma. Capillary plasma or saliva may replace venous plasma in pharmacokinetic investigations of artemisinin. Due to the ease of collection and handling, saliva sampling can be a simple approach in field studies of artemisinin, although the lower saliva concentrations require more sensitive analytical methods.
Saliva collection is a painless and simple alternative to blood sampling.
Moreover, in contrast to the training required for venous blood sampling, saliva collection can be easily performed by health care staff with little previous experience. The same physio-chemical properties are also indicative of high extraction and large volume of distribution for a compound. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether saliva or capillary blood could substitute for venous blood in pharmacokinetic studies of artemisinin in patients with uncomplicated falciparum malaria. The study was also designed to investigate the putative A-V difference for the compound. Written, informed consent was obtained from each subject prior to inclusion.