Beware of Drug Interaction of Green tea and Green Tea Extract, Scientist Warn

Kyle J. Norton

Green may have processed a drug interaction property  that inhibits the effect of conventional medicine, some scientists suggested.

Drug interactions are the greatest concern of some scientists, particularly in the pharmaceutical community as these effects can potentially reduce the desired effects for the treatment of certain diseases.

Intake of some drugs together, can reduce the absorption or increase the metabolism or elimination of other drugs treatment potential.

Some drugs interaction can cause an allergic reaction from skin rash and itching to a life-threatening anaphylactic reaction.

If you are taking some drugs for the treatment of certain diseases, please make sure that you know some may interact with the others.

The Havard health in the article “7 things you can do to avoid drug interactions”(4) suggested that you

1. Know why you are taking each medication

2. Know how to take the drug

3. Fill all your prescriptions at the same pharmacy

4. Are suspicious of supplements

5. Go easy on grapefruit juice

6. Limit intake of alcohol

7. Talk to your pharmacist
 

Green tea is a precious drink processed numbers of health benefit known to almost everyone in Asia and the Western world.

In the review the summarizes published in vitro, animal, and clinical studies investigating the effects of green tea (Camellia sinensis) extract and associated catechins on drug-metabolizing enzymes and drug transporters, researchers at the Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj suggested that

* Green tea extract and its main catechin, (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate, to varying degrees, inhibit the activity of the cytochrome P450 superfamily of enzymes of CYP1A1, CYP1A2, CYP2B6, CYP2C8, CYP2C9, CYP2D6, and CYP3A4. UGT1A1 and UGT1A4 but not the major cytochrome P450 enzyme, in vitro
Where cytochrome P450 enzymes have a unique function in metabolizing potentially toxic compounds, including drugs and products of endogenous metabolism. 

* A clinical study, the organic anion transporting polypeptide 1A1 transporter with the potential role of liver transporters and bile acids is also inhibited by (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate while P-glycoprotein, the multidrug resistance protein 1 (MDR1) is unaffected

These results suggested that patients should be cautious that consumption of significant amounts of green tea beverages or green tea extract may interact with the substrates of organic anion transporting polypeptide as mentioned above.

Further to investigate the effects of green tea extract (GTE) and (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) on the pharmacokinetics of a non-selective hydrophilic β-blocker nadolol, which is reported to be a substrate for several drug transporters and is not metabolized by cytochrome P450 enzymes launched a study o the. male Sprague-Dawley rats.

The tested animals were given GTE (400 mg/kg), EGCG (150 mg/kg) or saline (control) by oral gavage, 30 min before a single intragastric administration of 10 mg/kg nadolol.

At the end of the experiment, researchers showed that

* Pretreatment with GTE resulted in marked reductions in the maximum concentration (Cmax) and area under the time-plasma concentration curve (AUC) of nadolol by 85% and 74%, respectively, compared with control.

* EGCG alone significantly reduced Cmax and AUC of nadolol.

* The amounts of nadolol excreted into the urine were decreased by pretreatments with GTE and EGCG, while the terminal half-life of nadolol was not different among groups.

These results suggest that the coadministration with green tea catechins, particularly EGCG, causes a significant alteration in the pharmacokinetics of nadolol, possibly through the inhibition of its intestinal absorption mediated by uptake transporters.

Taken all together, green tea, green tea extract (GTE) and (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) can interact with the drug-metabolizing enzymes and drug transporters including nadolol. 

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Author Biography
Kyle J. Norton (Scholar, Master of Nutrition, All right reserved)
Health article writer and researcher; Over 10.000 articles and research papers have been written and published online, including worldwide health, ezine articles, article base, health blogs, self-growth, best before it’s news, the karate GB daily, etc.,.
Named TOP 50 MEDICAL ESSAYS FOR ARTISTS & AUTHORS TO READ by Disilgold.com Named 50 of the best health Tweeters Canada – Huffington Post
Nominated for shorty award over last 4 years
Some articles have been used as references in medical research, such as international journal Pharma and Bioscience, ISSN 0975-6299.
Sources
(1) Effects of green tea extract and (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate on pharmacokinetics of nadolol in rats by Misaka S1, Miyazaki N, Fukushima T, Yamada S, Kimura J.(PubMed)
(2) An Appraisal of Drug-Drug Interactions with Green Tea Albassam AA1, Markowitz JS2.(PubMed)
(3) Effects of green tea extract on the pharmacokinetics of quetiapine in rats by Ezzeldin E1, Asiri YA2, Iqbal M1. (PubMed)
(4) 7 things you can do to avoid drug interactions by Harvard Health