Evaluation of the in-vitro Effect on Chrysanthemum Indicum L. Herbal Tea on Hepatic Cyp3a4 Activity in Female Spontaneous Hypertensive Rats (Shr)

Abstract

The increasing use of herbal medicines, such as Chrysanthemum indicum L. (C. indicum L.) tea, among patients with hypertension raises issues regarding possible interactions with conventional antihypertensive medications. The main concern addressed in this research is the insufficient information available on how Chrysanthemum indicum affects the activity of the hepatic CYP3A4 enzyme, which is essential for drug metabolism. Specifically, this study seeks to evaluate whether Chrysanthemum tea has an inhibitory or stimulatory effect on CYP3A4 activity in order to determine the risk of interactions between the herb and drugs in hypertensive patients who are taking medications metabolized by CYP3A4. To address this, liver microsomes from spontaneous hypertensive female rats were used in an in-vitro experiment. Test groups were given varying doses of Chrysanthemum tea, along with control groups, and CYP3A4 activity was assessed using spectrophotometry to analyze formaldehyde production. According to the findings, CYP3A4 enzyme activity is markedly inhibited by Chrysanthemum indicum tea. This inhibition suggests that Chrysanthemum tea may change how CYP3A4-processed pharmaceuticals are metabolized, which could decrease the effectiveness or raise the toxicity of co-administered treatments like statins, antidiabetics, and antihypertensives. In conclusion, the study highlights the importance of caution when consuming Chrysanthemum indicum tea alongside medications metabolized by CYP3A4. Patients and healthcare providers should be informed of possible herb-drug interactions, and further studies are recommended to explore the clinical implications of these findings.

Keywords: Chrysanthemum indicum L., CYP3A4 inhibition, herb-drug interaction, hypertension, liver enzyme activity