Grapefruit studied for drug boosting effect

Scientists at the University of Chicago, USA, are studying the ability of grapefruit to interact with drugs to increase their therapeutic effect, reports the Wall Street Journal on-line. The US researchers are assessing juice from the fruit in combination with an investigational cancer drug, to see if the grapfruit can boost its weak effects.

The research builds on work conducted by James Harris, one of the founders of USA-based Bioavailability Systems, who in 1997 successfully isolated compounds from grapefruit demonstrated to be highly active through in vitro tests as inhibitors of CYP3A4, an enzyme that breaks down drugs before they even have the chance to get into the bloodstream. According to BS, the compounds are complex molecules with a spiro-ortho-ester substructure, elucidated in May 1997. It is hoped that the grapefruit compounds could help boost the blood concentrations of certain drugs that are poorly absorbed.