Studies on pharmacological Interactions between herbal and Synthetic oral antidiabetic drugs

Abstract

newline Use of traditional herbal products as an alternative and/or to complement conventional therapies continues to be noticeably high. This is due to a number of factors such as the ease of access, relative affordability, anecdotal perception of higher safety and efficacy, and natural abundance of these products. These herbs usually are self-administered as a means to treat or prevent the onset of a medical condition concomitantly with conventional medications. The use of complementary therapies for treatment of diabetes is ever increasing, and often remains unnoticed by a physician. These practices raise concerns about increased probability of an adverse herb drug interaction, alteration of the drug s pharmacokinetics and/or pharmacodynamics perpetrated by an herbal product that may lead to drug-related toxicity or reduced efficacy. newlinePharmacodynamics interactions may cause the pharmacological effect of the co-administered drug to increase (synergism or additive effect) or to decrease (antagonism), while pharmacokinetic interactions may cause an increase or decrease in the rate and extent of appearance of the co-administered drug in the systemic circulation. Inhibition of drug metabolizing enzymes or efflux transporters will result in enhanced bioavailability of the co-administered drug, while induction of drug metabolizing enzymes or efflux transporters will result in reduced bioavailability of the co-administered drug. As most clinically used drugs are metabolized by Cytochrome P450 enzymes, the changes in CYP activity initiated by herbal medications will alter the pharmacokinetics of the co-administered drugs. This subsequently will reduce the pharmacological effects of the co-administered drugs or cause toxicity. newlineEndocrine disorder such as diabetes mellitus exerts a significant health burdens. Treatment cost is huge in case of diabetes and its complication. With a perspective that the herbal or botanical extracts are natural and safe patients includes this as adjunct treatments. Patients are intereste