Scientific evidence on the role of Ayurvedic herbals on bioavailability of drugs

Experiments were conducted to evaluate the scientific basis of the use of the trikatu group of acrids (long pepper, black pepper and ginger) in the large number of prescriptions in Ayurveda. [3H] vasicine and [3H] sparteine were taken as test drugs. Piper longum (long pepper) increased the blood lev...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of ethnopharmacology Vol. 4; no. 2; pp. 229 - 232
Main Authors Atal, C.K, Zutshi, U, Rao, P.G
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Ireland 01.09.1981
Subjects
Abortifacient Agents
Alkaloids - metabolism
Animals
Benzodioxoles
Biological Availability
Drug Synergism
Female
India
Medicine, Ayurvedic
Pharmaceutical Preparations - metabolism
Phytotherapy
Piper longum
Piperidines - pharmacology
Plant Extracts - pharmacology
Plants, Medicinal - analysis
Polyunsaturated Alkamides
Quinazolines
Rats
Sparteine - metabolism
India
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Summary:Experiments were conducted to evaluate the scientific basis of the use of the trikatu group of acrids (long pepper, black pepper and ginger) in the large number of prescriptions in Ayurveda. [3H] vasicine and [3H] sparteine were taken as test drugs. Piper longum (long pepper) increased the blood levels of vasicine by nearly 233%. Under the influence of piperine, the active principle of Piper species, sparteine blood levels increased more than 100%. The results suggest that these acrids have the capacity to increase the bioavailability of certain drugs. It appears that the trikatu group of drugs increase bioavailability either by promoting rapid absorption from the gastrointestinal tract, or by protecting the drug from being metabolised/oxidised in its first passage through the liver after being absorbed, or by a combination of these two mechanisms.
ISSN:0378-8741
1872-7573
DOI:10.1016/0378-8741(81)90037-4