Effects of curcuma comosa extracts on hepatic cytochrome P450 activity and blood chemistry in rats

Abstract

Curcuma comosa Roxb. (Zingiberaceae) is an indigenous plant of Thailand. The rhizome of this plant has been widely used in Thai traditional medicine for treatment of abnormal uterine symptoms. The purpose of this study was to investigate effects of C. comosa hexane extracts and ethanolic extract on hepatic cytochrome P450 (CYP) in rats. Fifty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 5 groups. Rats were given orally with C. comosa hexane extract or ethanolic extract (250 and 500 mg/kg/day) or corn oil in a control group for 30 consecutive days. At the end of the treatment, rats were sacrified, blood samples were collected and liver microsomes were prepared. The results showed that both dosages of C. comosa hexane extract and ethanolic extracts at 250 mg/kg/day caused a significant increase of total CYP contents and the activity of CYP1A1. Lower dose of both extracts (250 mg/kg/day) caused a more increase of CYP1A1 activity than the higher dose (500 mg/kg/day). Also, both C. comosa hexane and ethanolic extracts caused a dose-dependent increase of CYP2B1/2B2 activities and the increase was higher in the hexane extract group than the ethanolic extract group. Hexane and ethanolic extracts of C. comosa did not affect CYP1A2, CYP2E1 and CYP3A activities. C. comosa hexane extract at the dose of 500 mg/kg/day caused a decrease of serum cholesterol, triglyceride and HDL-C while C. comosa ethanolic extract at the doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg/day decreased only triglyceride level. Furthermore, C. comosa hexane extract and ethanolic extract did not show any effects on these following clinical blood chemistry and hematology: sugar, BUN, creatinine, LDL-C, AST, ALT, ALP, albumin, total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, hematocrit, hemoglobin, RBC count, RBC indices (mean corpuscular volume; MCV, mean corpuscular hemoglobin; MCH, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration; MCHC) RBC morphology, platelet count, WBC count and % differential WBC. These results indicated the possibilities C. comosa hexane and ethanolic extracts on drug-drug interactions and the increase risk of toxicity, mutagenesis and/or carcinogenesis of drugs or compounds that are metabolized or bioactivation via CYP1A1 and CYP2B1/2B2