Effects of Turmeric Extract on the Pharmacokinetics of Nifedipine After a Single Oral Administration in Healthy Volunteers

Abstract

The effects of turmeric extracts on the pharmacokinetics of nifedipine were examined in 10 healthy volunteers. An open-label and randomized crossover study was performed at 2-week intervals. In the control experiment, after a 10 h overnight fast, 10 mg of nifedipine (Adalat® capsule) was administered orally and blood was collected at 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8 h. In the combination experiment, the volunteers were orally administered 10 mg of nifedipine together with six tablets containing concentrated turmeric extract (480 mg of curcuminoid per six tablets), which is the general daily dose, and blood was sampled as above. The time profile of the plasma concentration of nifedipine in the control was comparable to that in combination with turmeric extract, as were the pharmacokinetic parameters: that is, the mean ratio of turmeric extract/control group (90% confidence interval: CI); C(max), 0.98 (0.95, 1.01) and AUC(0 - ∞) 1.00 (0.98, 1.02). In addition, the volunteers all completed the study without any serious adverse events. Consumption of the turmeric extract did not affect the pharmacokinetics of nifedipine after a single oral administration.

Therapeutic Risk and Benefits of Concomitantly Using Herbal Medicines and Conventional Medicines: From the Perspectives of Evidence Based on Randomized Controlled Trials and Clinical Risk Management

“…These two RCTs utilized one or two doses of precipitant herbal medicines and therefore could not reflect the true clinical circumstance of chronic dosing. Further RCTs are necessary to address whether the two herbs are not potent CYP3A4 inhibitors in vivo following longer-term pretreatment [68, 69]. …”

Role of Turmeric and Curcumin in Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Diseases: Lessons Learned from Clinical Trials

“…Turmeric and its formulations were reported to improve various conditions in healthy individuals, reducing their risk of developing chronic diseases. A diverse range of studies have reported the tolerability of turmeric and its formulations in humans. − For instance, a single dose of a 10 g turmeric root extract formulation in aged individuals improved oxygenation and cerebral blood flow, which are associated with improving brain activity . In another study, taking 1500 mg/day of BCM-95 (turmeric oil-based curcumin formulation) for 12 months stabilized cognitive function in older adults when compared to a placebo, recipients of which showed reduced cognitive function over the same period .…”

Turmeric

“…148,149 There also needs to be an examination of potential drug interactions following curcuminoid administration, because both inhibitory and enhancing effects on drug efficacy in humans have been reported. 2,[150][151][152][153][154][155][156][157] As with any herbal supplement, an awareness of reports of adverse consumer responses is important. Recently, Belgium's Federal Agency for Food Chain Safety and Italy's National Institute of Health warned consumers to avoid specific turmeric-containing supplements associated with an outbreak of acute cholestatic hepatitis (https://www.…”