Curcumin alters the pharmacokinetics of warfarin and clopidogrel in Wistar rats but has no effect on anticoagulation or antiplatelet aggregation.

This study examined the effects of curcumin on the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of warfarin and clopidogrel in Wistar rats. Results showed that oral administration of curcumin at 25 mg/kg, 50 mg/kg, and 100 mg/kg for 7 days had no substantial effects on the pharmacodynamics of warfarin and clopidogrel in this animal model. However, oral administration of 100 mg/kg curcumin for 7 days significantly increased the AUC0-∞ and Cmax of the two drugs (by × 1.6 and × 1.5, respectively, for warfarin, and × 1.61 and × 1.81, respectively, for clopidogrel carboxylic acid). However, compared to warfarin alone, different doses of curcumin combined with warfarin had no effects on the prothrombin time in rats. Similarly, a combination of curcumin and clopidogrel had no significant effect on the maximum platelet aggregation rate of rats compared with the use of clopidogrel alone. This work demonstrated that preadministration of 100 mg/kg curcumin affected the pharmacokinetics of warfarin and clopidogrel but had no effect on pharmacodynamic parameters such as anticoagulation rate and antiplatelet aggregation.