Recent findings that the widely - used herbal codicil Master John ' s wort could dramatically act on the activity and metabolism of lousy with prescription and non - prescription drugs raised concerns that other popular herbal supplements might engender in agreement changes, then significantly modification drugs ' therapeutic or toxic effects. What, for exemplification, about ginseng and ginkgo biloba, two of the most widely used herbal supplements leadership this and other countries?
Words on May 1 at Empitic Biology 2007, University of Kansas Medical Spotlight scientist Dr. Gregory Reed reports a study that launch daily exertion 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 conflicting drugs. Dr. Reed ' s presentation was lot of the technical program of the American Society for Pharmacology and Seen Therapeutics.
The research gang, led by Dr. Reed and the late Dr. Aryeh Hurwitz, recruited 72 healthy non - ardent adults ( 31 male and 41 womanliness, ages 20 to 59 ) who were not bewitching any prescription drugs or dietary supplements. The participants were prone a " cocktail " of five drugs, each drug domination the cocktail chosen due to live provides a measure of the action of a explanation drug metabolism alley. Taken together, the five drugs impact the cocktail keep measurements of the pathways that rule the pharmacokinetics of over 90 percent of prescription drugs. The scientists thence measured the substance of these drugs or their metabolites importance each subject ' s salmon and urine dominion layout to ring in a baseline for how each unusual absorbed and metabolized the unlike prescription drugs dominion the absence of herbal supplements.
The 72 people following were randomly assigned to one of four groups. For four weeks, the aboriginal sort well-known a ginseng supplement and a placebo for ginkgo biloba; the second noted ginkgo biloba and a placebo for ginseng; the feeler published both ginseng and ginkgo biloba supplements; and the fourth received placebos for both supplements. The prescription drug cocktail was besides administered and crimson and urine samples taken credit setup to predispose the recreation and metabolism of these drugs reputation the concrete of either or both of the herbal supplements.
The scientists fix no significant differences between those who proverbial one, both, or none of the ginseng and ginkgo biloba supplements impact how their kinsmen absorbed or metabolized ingredient of the five prescription drugs. This suggests, says Dr. Reed, that neither ginseng nor ginkgo biloba will involve the pharmacokinetics of the majority of prescription or over - the inconsistent drugs. He does note, however, that the team did not strike piece possible effects of the herbal supplements on pharmacodynamic interactions: the way drugs produce due therapeutic effects or cause adverse side effects. The possibility of these pharmacodynamic, because opposed to pharmacokinetic, interactions remains to perform investigated.
