Effect of benzopyrone derivatives on drug activity and metabolism

The Pharmacological Potential of Rutin

The contemporary scientific community has presently recognized flavonoids to be a unique class of therapeutic molecules due to their diverse therapeutic properties. Of these, rutin, also known as vitamin P or rutoside, has been explored for a number of pharmacological effects. Tea leaves, apples, and many more possess rutin as one of the active constituents. Today, rutin has been observed for its nutraceutical effect. The present review highlights current information and health-promoting effects of rutin. Along with this, safety pharmacology issues and SAR of the same have also been discussed.

Induction of drug metabolism can be a homeostatic response

The invasion of the body by toxic agents, in addition to the specific effects, causes a stereotype non-specific response -stress-, and an adaptive phenomenon like drug metabolism. Reserpine or hydrocortisone, causing a typical stress response, produce increased plasma concentrations of corticosterone in rats. -Here it is shown that corticosterone administration once, or for three days twice daily (200 mumoles/kg) increase body resistance to zoxazolamine, methyprylon, and tetraethylammonium bromide, reduce their plasma concentrations and augment zoxazolamine, hexobarbital, and aniline in vitro drug metabolism (9000 g liver supernatant). This constitutes a good evidence that drug metabolism can be induced in response to need.

Effect of the position of the cyano-group of cyanopregnenolones on their drug metabolic inducing activity

The effect of the position of the cyano-group of several cyanopregnenolones on the body's resistance to drugs and on drug metabolism was investigated. Female rats were pretreated with 2 alpha-, 6-, 16 alpha-, 17 alpha-cyano- or 16 alpha-cyanomethyl-pregnenolone or with pregnenolone, and the (in vivo) resistance to zoxazolamine, digitoxin and indomethacin, as well as the in vitro drug metabolism (post mitochondrial fraction) of zoxazolamine and ethylmorphine were determined. It was found that the 16-derivative was the most active in this respect, the 2- and 17-cyanopregnenolones were less active but significantly potent compared to controls, while the 6-cyano, the 16-cyanomethyl derivatives and pregnenolone were essentially inactive. These differences were explained in terms of an effective or poor fit of the steroids to their receptor. The poor performance of pregnenolone-16 alpha-acetonitrile was attributed to electronic effects. A hypothesis of some structural features of the receptor site for its interaction with the cyanopregnenolone inducers was presented.