Pre-treatment with curcumin for four days increased the oral bioavailability of paclitaxel in Swiss mice.

Abstract

Low oral bioavailability of paclitaxel, a crucial anticancer medication, is due to its poor water solubility, P-glycoprotein (P-gp) efflux characteristic, and CYP3A substrate. Though numerous formulation options have been taken to overcome this poor absorption profile, the effect of curcumin, a naturally occurring CYP3A and P-gp inhibitor, on paclitaxel plasma level augmentation has yet to be published. As a result, the current study's goal is to assess any changes in paclitaxel's oral pharmacokinetics. Curcumin was given orally to Swiss mice at a dose of 100 mg/kg for four days, followed by pharmacokinetics of paclitaxel at a dose of 35 mg/kg orally alone and curcumin pre-treated animals on the fifth day. When compared to oral paclitaxel alone therapy, Cmax and AUC are increased by 1.4 to 1.5 times, resulting in improved paclitaxel oral bioavailability. Curcumin may be an appropriate choice for long-term usage to increase paclitaxel bioavailability and reduce dose-related adverse effects. Furthermore, Curcumin's anticancer properties, both alone and in combination with paclitaxel, might be used to treat cancer in a clinical setting.