Impacts of Drug Interactions on Pharmacokinetics and the Brain Transporters: A Recent Review of Natural Compound-Drug Interactions in Brain Disorders.

Natural compounds such as herbal medicines and/or phyto-compounds from foods, have frequently been used to exert synergistic therapeutic effects with anti-brain disorder drugs, supplement the effects of nutrients, and boost the immune system. However, co-administration of natural compounds with the drugs can cause synergistic toxicity or impeditive drug interactions due to changes in pharmacokinetic properties (e.g., absorption, metabolism, and excretion) and various drug transporters, particularly brain transporters. In this review, natural compound-drug interactions (NDIs), which can occur during the treatment of brain disorders, are emphasized from the perspective of pharmacokinetics and cellular transport. In addition, the challenges emanating from NDIs and recent approaches are discussed.

Correlates of Biochemical Markers of Bone turnover among Post-Menopausal Women.

INTRODUCTION: Bone turnover leading to osteoporosis and poor quality of life is common during post-menopausal period. Study of bone turnover markers that contribute to non-invasive assessment of bone-metabolic disorders holds an important area of research in low income country like Nepal. This study aimed to examine the correlates of bone turnover markers in post-menopausal women in tertiary level of health care center of Nepal. METHODS: A hospital-based cross-sectional study conducted during the period of November 2016 to December 2017 among 354 women. Blood samples for calcium, inorganic phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase and vitamin D were collected and analyzed using a validated and calibrated tools. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software version 20. RESULTS: Mean±Standard deviation of age of post-menopausal women was significantly higher compared to pre-menopausal women (post-menopausal women, (57.98±8.08) vs. pre-menopausal, (31.35±5.83), (P<0.001). Selected biochemical markers of bone-turnover such as alkaline phosphatase levels were significantly higher with year since menopause (P<0.001), whereas serum calcium, and vitamin D were decreasing with year since menopause among post-menopausal women. In addition, calcium and vitamin D were significantly negatively correlated with year since menopause (P<0.01) while body mass index, inorganic phosphorus and alkaline phosphatase were significantly positively correlated with year since menopause (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Our study revealed that body mass index, inorganic phosphorus and alkaline phosphatase positively correlated with year since menopause while calcium and vitamin D were negatively correlated suggesting for a medical supervision of hormonal changes and periodic dosing of calcium and vitamin D among post-menopausal women to reduce the problem of bone health.