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Planta Med 2005; 71(4): 331-337
DOI: 10.1055/s-2005-864099
Original Paper
Pharmacology
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

No Relevant Interaction with Alprazolam, Caffeine, Tolbutamide, and Digoxin by Treatment with a Low-Hyperforin St John’s Wort Extract

Gerhard Arold1 , Frank Donath1 , Agathe Maurer1 , Konstanze Diefenbach1 , Steffen Bauer1 , Hans-Heinrich Henneicke-von Zepelin2 , Michael Friede2 , Ivar Roots1
  • 1Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, University Medical Center Charité, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany
  • 2Schaper & Brümmer GmbH & Co. KG, Medical Department, Salzgitter, Germany
Further Information

Publication History

Received: June 30, 2004

Accepted: October 30, 2004

Publication Date:
27 April 2005 (online)

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Abstract

We evaluated the pharmacokinetic interaction between a low-hyperforin St John’s wort (SJW) extract and alprazolam, caffeine, tolbutamide, and digoxin. Previous reports on other SJW products had shown remarkably decreased plasma concentrations of certain co-medicated drugs, which was attributed to an inducing effect of SJW on cytochrome P-450 (CYP) and p-glycoprotein (p-gp) activity. Two randomised, placebo-controlled studies were performed with 28 healthy volunteers (age 18 - 55 years) in each study. In study A, single doses of alprazolam (1 mg; substrate of CYP3A4) and caffeine (100 mg; CYP1A2) were given on days 1 and 11. In study B, single doses of tolbutamide (500 mg, days 1 and 11; CYP2C9) and multiple doses of digoxin (0.75 mg on days -2 and -1, 0.25 mg/die on days 1 to 11; p-gp) were given. The participants received SJW (Esbericum® capsules; 240 mg/die of extract, 3.5 mg hyperforin) or placebo on days 2 to 11. Blood for pharmacokinetic analysis was drawn on days 1 and 11. No statistically significant differences were found in the primary kinetic parameter, AUC0 - 24, of alprazolam, caffeine (AUC0 - 12), paraxanthine, tolbutamide, 4-hydroxytolbutamide, and digoxin between the placebo group and the SJW group at the end of the study. The SJW-induced change in AUCs was less than 12 % of the initial median AUC of the participants in studies A and B, thus clinically irrelevant. On day 11, trough concentrations were 2.0 (range 0.6 - 4.1) μg/L and 1.0 (0.2 - 3.9) μg/L for hypericin and pseudohypericin, respectively, whereas hyperforin concentrations were below the quantification limit (< 1 μg/L). Kinetics of investigated probe drugs were only marginally influenced by concomitant treatment with Esbericum® capsules. This may be due in particular to the low hyperforin plasma concentration as this SJW component has been shown to activate the PXR receptor which regulates expression of CYP3A4 and p-gp. Our findings corroborate the view that reports about interactions of other SJW extracts seem not to be predictive for the product we studied.

Key words

St. John’s wort - Hypericum perforatum - Clusiaceae - interaction - clinical trial - drug safety

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Dr. rer. nat. Michael Friede

Schaper & Bruemmer GmbH & Co. KG

Bahnhofstr. 35

38259 Salzgitter

Germany

Phone: +49-5341-307 560

Fax: +49-5341-307 524

Email: michael.friede@schaper-bruemmer.de

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