title: Possible interaction of herbal tea and carbamazepine.
abstract: A study was conducted using Wistar rats to determine the effect of concurrent administration of a herbal tea prepared from dried flowers of Cassia auriculata and carbamazepine on (a) blood levels of the prescription drug and (b) changes in toxicity (as assessed by changes in hematological parameters, liver and kidney function, and histology of major body organs) that may occur due to drug interaction. Results demonstrate that in rats receiving the herbal tea and carbamazepine, the blood levels of the prescription drug were significantly enhanced by 47.1% (p <0.04) when compared with the levels in animals receiving only carbamazepine, with no apparent changes in toxicity. Concurrent ingestion of the herbal tea prepared from Cassia auriculata flowers with carbamazepine may therefore influence the bioavailability of the prescribed drug and hence its therapeutic potential.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, Ragama, Sri Lanka. mrthab@dynaweb.lk
authors.forename: M Ira
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Thabrew
authors.forename: T M Janake
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Munasinghe
authors.forename: Surekha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chackrewarthi
authors.forename: Susantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Senarath
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000097:blood* / Q000633:toxicity; D001628:Beverages; D001682:Biological Availability; D002220:Carbamazepine / Q000097:blood* / Q000633:toxicity; D002366:Cassia; D004347:Drug Interactions; D008297:Male; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D010936:Plant Extracts; D002220:Carbamazepine