Allameh A, Saxena M, Biswas G, Raj H G, Singh J, Srivastava N
Biochemistry Department, Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute, University of Delhi, India.
Cancer Lett. 1992 Jan 31;61(3):195-9. doi: 10.1016/0304-3835(92)90287-6.
Piperine is known to modify the biotransformation of drugs. The effect of piperine on the metabolic activation and distribution of [3H]-aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in rats has been described. Piperine markedly inhibited liver microsome-catalysed [3H]AFB1 binding to calf thymus DNA in vitro, in a dose dependent manner. Rats pretreated with piperine accumulated considerable [3H]AFB1 radioactivity in plasma and in the tissues examined as compared to the controls. However, piperine had no influence on hepatic [3H]AFB1-DNA binding in vivo, which could possibly be due to the null effect of piperine on liver cytosolic glutathione (GSH) 5-transferase activity. Piperine-treated rat liver microsomes demonstrated a tendency to enhance [3H]AFB1 binding to calf thymus DNA in vivo. The effect of piperine on AFB1 metabolism thus closely resembles the mode of action of SKF 525-A on biotransformation of foreign compounds.
