The effects of kudzu (Pueraria lobata) on various cytochrome P450s

The significant impact that this project is desired to have is to provide fundamental knowledge regarding the use of kudzu products for medicinal purposes, as it relates to antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. This is anticipated to be achieved by studying how the plant may alter the activity of several cytochrome P450 enzymes with known effects on human health. Different human cytochrome P450 isoforms were selected for this study based on their ability to convert relatively inert foreign chemical species into toxic metabolites. These include P450 2E1, 2A6, and 1A2. To analyze the selected enzymes in crude liver tissue each isoform had a unique substrate that was metabolized selectively. Several different kudzu extracts were prepared for analysis, including an ethanolic and a chloroform extract, and each was tested for inhibition of the enzymes, along with the pure compound puerarin. The most inhibitory effects were observed with the interaction between cytochrome P450 1A2 and the ethanolic kudzu root extract and cytochrome P450 2C9 and the ethanolic kudzu root extract