Effects of Curcuma xanthorrhiza Extracts and Their Constituents on Phase II Drug-metabolizing Enzymes Activity

Background

Curcuma xanthorrhiza is a native Indonesian plant and traditionally utilized for a range of illness including liver damage, hypertension, diabetes, and cancer.

Objective

The study determined the effects of C. xanthorrhiza extracts (ethanol and aqueous) and their constituents (curcumene and xanthorrhizol) on UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) and glutathione transferase (GST) activities.

Materials and Methods

The inhibition studies were evaluated both in rat liver microsomes and in human recombinant UGT1A1 and UGT2B7 enzymes. p-nitrophenol and beetle luciferin were used as the probe substrates for UGT assay while 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene as the probe for GST assay. The concentrations of extracts studied ranged from 0.1 to 1000 mg/mL while for constituents ranged from 0.01 to 500 mM.

Results

In rat liver microsomes, UGT activity was inhibited by the ethanol extract (IC₅₀ = 279.74 ± 16.33 mg/mL). Both UGT1A1 and UGT2B7 were inhibited by the ethanol and aqueous extracts with IC₅₀ values ranging between 9.59–22.76 mg/mL and 110.71–526.65 mg/Ml, respectively. Rat liver GST and human GST Pi-1 were inhibited by ethanol and aqueous extracts, respectively (IC₅₀ = 255.00 ± 13.06 mg/mL and 580.80 ± 18.56 mg/mL). Xanthorrhizol was the better inhibitor of UGT1A1 (IC₅₀ 11.30 ± 0.27 mM) as compared to UGT2B7 while curcumene did not show any inhibition. For GST, both constituents did not show any inhibition.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that C. xanthorrhiza have the potential to cause herb-drug interaction with drugs that are primarily metabolized by UGT and GST enzymes.