Ultra-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometric method for the determination of Artemisinin in rat serum and its application in pharmacokinetics

A rapid and sensitive ultra-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated to quantify artemisinin in rat serum. The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) was 4 ng/mL. The calibration curve was linear from 4 ng/mL to 10,000 ng/mL (R = 0.998). The assay was based on the selected reaction monitoring (SRM) transitions at m/z 305.4–151.10 for artemisinin and m/z 335.2–163.10 for arteether (internal standard). The artemisinin and internal standard can be separated from endogenous interferences in rat serum. Inter- and intra-day assay variation was less than 15%. The extraction recoveries ranged from 80.0 to 107.3% at the three concentrations (5000, 2000, and 200 ng/mL). This method was successfully applied to pharmacokinetic studies of artemisinin after intravenous and oral administration to rats.