Assessing Metabolic Stability of Natural Products by Liver Enzymes in Rats and Mice

Natural Products are important contributors in the development of new therapeutic drugs. It is essential to understand metabolic stability and drug-drug interactions of natural products to determine their viability as future therapeutics. We used metabolizing enzymes isolated from liver tissues of rats and mice to assess the rates of metabolism and possible drug-drug interactions of natural products. We quantified the concentration of the parent compound over time by using headspace gas chromatography. We compared the metabolic rates of these compounds in different animal species. We found that cineole, used in some herbal remedies as an anti-inflammatory and anti-rheumatic agent, is rapidly metabolized in mice. In contrast, the metabolic rate of cineole is much slower in rats than in mice. We are currently investigating how other natural products interact with metabolizing enzymes to alter the metabolism of cineole. This research provides the necessary insight needed to help predict dosing and drug-drug interactions and thus influence further development of these natural products as drugs