A preliminary pharmacokinetic study of paracetamol was carried out in Nigerians for whom it is normal to consume paracetamol or its combination during almost any type of symptoms. After a single oral dose of 1000mg of the drug to eight adult male volunteers, paracetamol was measured in plasma and saliva using high-performance liquid chromatography.


The plasma profile showed a biexponential decline after peak absorption. Some of the pharmacokinetic parameters compared with previous results from Caucasians and Asians although some differences were observed. The absorption of paracetamol was rapid with mean tmax of 0.875 + 0.44h (range, 0.5 - 1.5h) and was 20 times faster than elimination rate. The Cmax varied between 11.46 and 26.44 ?gmL-1 with three of the subjects having Cmax greater than the 20 ?gmL-1 limit for therapeutic level. The elimination half-life was slightly longer than previous reports, with four subjects having t1/2 above 3h. The t1/2 was found to correlate significantly (p