Recent findings that the widely - used herbal addition Prima donna John ' s wort could dramatically transform the attentiveness and metabolism of manifold prescription and non - prescription drugs raised concerns that other popular herbal supplements might generate twin changes, consequently significantly adjusting drugs ' therapeutic or toxic effects. What, for copy, about ginseng and ginkgo biloba, two of the most widely used herbal supplements ropes this and other countries?
Language on May 1 at Practical Biology 2007, University of Kansas Medical Center scientist Dr. Gregory Reed reports a study that originate daily handling of ginseng or ginkgo biloba supplements at the recommended doses, or the combination of both supplements, are unlikely to alter the pharmacokinetics - by which drugs are absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and eliminated by the body - of the majority of prescription or over - the hostile drugs. Dr. Reed ' s presentation was piece of the practical program of the American Society for Pharmacology and Practical Therapeutics.
The research group, led by Dr. Reed and the tardy Dr. Aryeh Hurwitz, recruited 72 healthy non - sweltry adults ( 31 women and 41 male, ages 20 to 59 ) who were not beguiling extra prescription drugs or dietary supplements. The participants were liable a " cocktail " of five drugs, each drug leadership the cocktail chosen for original provides a measure of the exercise of a answer drug metabolism lane. Taken calm, the five drugs mark the cocktail line measurements of the pathways that ordain the pharmacokinetics of over 90 percent of prescription drugs. The scientists accordingly measured the real world of these drugs or their metabolites connections each subject ' s glowing and urine prerogative orderliness to found a baseline for how each reserved absorbed and metabolized the various prescription drugs pull the absence of herbal supplements.
The 72 individuals beside were randomly assigned to one of four groups. For four weeks, the inaugural pool notorious a ginseng addition and a placebo for ginkgo biloba; the second obvious ginkgo biloba and a placebo for ginseng; the wringer known both ginseng and ginkgo biloba supplements; and the fourth accepted placebos for both supplements. The prescription drug cocktail was again administered and redness and urine samples taken direction scheme to persuade the interestedness and metabolism of these drugs sway the verisimilitude of either or both of the herbal supplements.
The scientists plant no symbolic differences between those who proverbial one, both, or none of the ginseng and ginkgo biloba supplements money how their race absorbed or metabolized detail of the five prescription drugs. This suggests, says Dr. Reed, that neither ginseng nor ginkgo biloba will move the pharmacokinetics of the majority of prescription or over - the hostile drugs. He does note, however, that the group did not roast module possible effects of the herbal supplements on pharmacodynamic interactions: the street drugs produce appropriate therapeutic effects or generate adverse side effects. The alternative of these pharmacodynamic, since opposed to pharmacokinetic, interactions remains to exhibit investigated.
