• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.694-705
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• 2023

Panax ginseng Meyer is a traditional Chinese medicine that is widely used as tonic in Asia. The main pharmacologically active components of ginseng are the dammarane-type ginsenosides, which have been shown to have anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, immunoregulatory, neuroprotective, and metabolic regulatory activities. Moreover, some of ginsenosides (eg, Rh2 and Rg3) have been developed into nutraceuticals. However, the utilization of ginsenosides in clinic is restrictive due to poor permeability in cells and low bioavailability in human body. Obviously, the dammarane skeleton and glycosyls of ginsenosides are responsible for these limitations. Therefore, improving the oral bioavailability of ginsenosides has become a pressing issue. Here, based on the structures of ginsenosides, we summarized the understanding of the factors affecting the oral bioavailability of ginsenosides, introduced the methods to enhance the oral bioavailability and proposed the future perspectives on improving the oral bioavailability of ginsenosides.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.141-145
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• 1995

Omeprazole, a proton pump inhibitor, was given intravenously (iv), orally (po), intraperitoneally (ip), hepatoportalvenously (pv), and intrarectally (ir) to rats at a dose of 72mg/kg in order to investigate the bioavailability of the drug, The extent of bioavailabilities of omeprazole administered through pv, ip, po, and ir routes were 88.5, 79.4, 40,8, and 38.7%, respectively. Pharmacokinetic analysis in this study and literatures (Regardh et al., 1985 : Watanabe et al., 1994) implied significant dose-dependency in hepatic first-pass metabolism, clearance and distribution, and acidic degradation in gastric fluid. The high bioavailability from the pv administration (88.5%) means that only 11.5% of dose was extracted by the first-pass metabolism through the liver at this dose (72 mg/kg). The low bioavailability from the oral administration (40.8%) in spite of minor hepatic first-pass extraction indicates low transport of the drug from GI lumen to portal vein. From the literature (Pilbrant and Cederberg, 1985), acidic degradation in gastric fluid was considered to be the major cause of the low transport. Thus, enteric coating of oral preparations would enhance the oral bioavailability substantially. The bioavailability of the drug from the rectal route, in which acidic degradation and hepatic first-pass metabolism may not occur, was low (38.7%) but comparable to that from the oral route (40.8 %) indicating poor transport across the rectal membrane. In this case, addition of an appropriate absorption enhancer would improve the bioavailability. Rectal route seems to be an possible alternative to the conventional oral route for omeprazole administration.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.243-248
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of morin, an antioxidant, on the bioavailability of doxorubicin (DOX) in rats. Thus, DOX was administered intravenously (10 mg/kg) or orally (50 mg/kg) with or without oral morin (0.5, 3 and 10 mg/kg). In the presence of morin, the total area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) of DOX was significantly greater than that of the control. In the presence of 3 and 10 mg/kg of morin, the peak concentration $C_{MAX}$) was significantly higher than that of the control. Consequently, the absolute bioavailability (AB) of DOX in the presence of morin was 3.7-8.3%, which was significantly enhanced compared with those of the control group (2.7%). The relative bioavailability (RB) of DOX was 1.36 to 3.02 times higher than those of the control group. Compared to the intravenous control, the presence of morin increased the AUC of DOX, but was not significantly affected. The enhanced bioavailability of oral DOX by oral morin may be due to the inhibition of both P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A in the intestine and/or liver by morin. This result may suggest that the development of oral DOX combination with morin is feasible, which is more convenient than the i.v. dosage forms. The present study raised the awareness about the potential drug interactions by concomitant use of DOX with morin.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.331-334
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• 2008

The objectives of this study were to formulate oral paclitaxel microemulsion and to compare the bioavailability of paclitaxel in the microemulsion formulation from the commercially available $Taxol^{(R)}$ formulation. Paclitaxel microemulsion was formulated with much less amount of Cremophor $EL^{TM}$ as compared with $Taxol^{(R)}$ to reduce severe adverse reactions produced by Cremophor $EL^{TM}$. The area under the plasma concentration-time curve from 0 hr to 24 hr ($AUC_{0-24}$), maximum plasma concentration ($C_{max}$), and relative bioavailability of palcitaxel microemulsion were increased as compared with $Taxol^{(R)}$ after oral administration. The time required to reach $C_{max}\;(T_{max})$ of palcitaxel microemulsion was significantly shorter than $Taxol^{(R)}$ following oral administration. These results suggest the faster intestinal absorption and the enhanced oral bioavailability of paclitaxel in the microemulsion formulation.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.47-51
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• 2002

Although acebutolol (ABT) is almost completely absorbed in the gastrointestinal (Gl) tract, oral bioavailability of the drug is low due to extensive first-pass metabolism in the Gl tract and liver. In the present study, bioavailability and pharmacokinetics of ABT was studied in bile duct-bypassed rabbits after oral administration. For ABT the time to reach the plasma peak (T$_{max}$) and mean resident time (MRT) were increased by the treatment. For diacetolol (DAT), a metabolite of ABT area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC), T$_{max}$ and plasma half-life were increased by the treatment. These results indicate that oral bioavailability of ABT is associated with the enterohepatic recycling of bile juice components.nts.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.417-424
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• 2024

Background: This research main objective was to evaluate a proliposomes (PLs) formulation for the enhancement of oral bioavailability of ginsenosides, using ginsenoside Rg3 (Rg3) as a marker. Methods: A novel PLs formulation was prepared using a modified evaporation-on-matrix method. Soy phosphatidylcholine, Rg3-enriched extract, poloxamer 188 (Lutrol® F 68) and sorbitol were mixed and dissolved using a aqueous ethanolic solution, followed by the removal of ethanol and lyophilization. The characterization of Rg3-PLs formulations was performed by powder X-ray diffractometry (PXRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and in vitro release. The enhancement of oral bioavailability was investigated and analyzed by noncompartmental parameters after oral administration of the formulations. Results: PXRD of Rg3-PLs indicated that Rg3 was transformed from crystalline into its amorphous form during the preparation process. The Rg3-encapsulated liposomes with vesicular-shaped morphology were generated after the reconstitution by gentle hand-shaking in water; they had a mean diameter of approximately 350 nm, a negative zeta potential (- 28.6 mV) and a high entrapment efficiency (97.3%). The results of the in vitro release study exhibited that significantly more amount of Rg3 was released from the PLs formulation in comparison with that from the suspension of Rg3-enriched extract (control group). The pharmacokinetic parameters after oral administration of PLs formulation in rats showed an approximately 11.8-fold increase in the bioavailability of Rg3, compared to that of the control group. Conclusion: The developed PLs formulation could be a favorable delivery system to improve the oral bioavailability of ginsenosides, including Rg3.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.83-88
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• 2003

KR-984055 is a new oral cephalosporin antibiotic with activity against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Lipophilic ester-type prodrugs of KR-984055, i.e., KR-999001 and KR-999002, have been synthesized in an attempt to increase the oral bioavailability of this broad-spectrum antibiotic agent. In this study we determined the oral bioavailability of KR-984055 and its prodrugs in the rat, and evaluated the pharmacokinetic model that best describes the plasma concentration behavior following single intravenous (IV) and oral single dose. In addition, concentrations in plasma as well as biliary and urinary recovery of KR-984055 were determined. Also, protein binding of KR-984055 in plasma was examined in vitro. The degree of protein binding of KR-984055 was in the range of 92.09~94.77%. KR-984055 exhibited poor oral bioavailability (7.02$\pm$1.58%). The observed oral bioavailabilities of KR-984055 from KR-999001 and KR-999002 were 38.77$\pm$2.81 % and 39.81$\pm$5.25%, respectively. These data were calculated from the levels of free KR-984055 in plasma. Oral KR-999001 and KR-999002 were not recovered from plasma, suggesting that it was readily cleaved to free KR-984055. KR-999001 and KR-999002 appear to be an efficient oral prod rug of KR-984055 that deserved further clinical evaluation in human.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.469-476
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• 2010

This study was to investigate the effect of apigenin on the bioavailability of paclitaxel after oral and intravenous administration in rats. The effect of apigenin on P-glycoprotein (P-gp), cytochrome P450 (CYP)3A4 activity was evaluated. The pharmacokinetic parameters of paclitaxel were determined in rats after oral (40 mg/kg) or intravenous (5 mg/kg) administration of paclitaxel with apigenin (0.4, 2 and 8 mg/kg) to rats. Apigenin inhibited CYP3A4 activity with 50% inhibition concentration ($IC_{50}$) of 1.8 ${\mu}M$. In addition, apigenin significantly inhibited P-gp activity. Compared to the control group, apigenin significantly increased the area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC, p<0.05 by 2 mg/kg, 59.0% higher; p<0.01 by 8 mg/kg, 87% higher) of oral paclitaxel. Apigenin also significantly (p<0.05 by 2 mg/kg, 37.2% higher; p<0.01 by 8 mg/kg, 59.3% higher) increased the peak plasma concentration ($C_{max}$) of oral paclitaxel. Apigenin significantly increased the terminal half-life ($t_{1/2}$, p<0.05 by 8 mg/kg, 34.5%) of oral paclitaxel. Consequently, the absolute bioavailability (A.B.) of paclitaxel was significantly (p<0.05 by 2 mg/kg, p<0.01 by 8 mg/kg) increased by apigenin compared to that in the control group, and the relative bioavailability (R.B.) of oral paclitaxel was increased by 1.14- to 1.87-fold. The pharmacokinetics of intravenous paclitaxel were not affected by the concurrent use of apigenin in contrast to the oral administration of paclitaxel. Accordingly, the enhanced oral bioavailability by apigenin may be mainly due to increased intestinal absorption caused via P-gp inhibition by apigenin rather than to reduced renal and hepatic elimination of paclitaxel. The increase in the oral bioavailability might be mainly attributed to enhanced absorption in the gastrointestinal tract via the inhibition of P-gp and reduced first-pass metabolism of paclitaxel via the inhibition of the CYP3A subfamily in the small intestine and/or in the liver by apigenin. It appears that the development of oral paclitaxel preparations as a combination therapy is possible, which will be more convenient than the i.v. dosage form.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.296-300
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• 2015

${\beta}$-Lapachone has drawn increasing attention as an anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer drug. However, its oral bioavailability has not been yet assessed, which might be useful to develop efficient dosage forms possibly required for non-clinical and clinical studies and future market. The aim of the present study was thus to investigate pharmacokinetic properties of ${\beta}$-lapachone as well as its first-pass metabolism in the liver, and small and large intestines after oral administration to measure the absolute bioavailability in rats. A sensitive HPLC method was developed to evaluate levels of ${\beta}$-lapachone in plasma and organ homogenates. The drug degradation profiles were examined in plasma to assess the stability of the drug and in liver and intestinal homogenates to evaluate first-pass metabolism. Pharmacokinetic profiles were obtained after oral and intravenous administration of ${\beta}$-lapachone at doses of 40 mg/kg and 1.5 mg/kg, respectively. The measured oral bioavailability of ${\beta}$-lapachone was 15.5%. The considerable degradation of ${\beta}$-lapachone was seen in the organ homogenates but the drug was quite stable in plasma. In conclusion, we suggest that the fairly low oral bioavailability of ${\beta}$-lapachone may be resulted from the first-pass metabolic degradation of ${\beta}$-lapachone in the liver, small and large intestinal tracts and its low aqueous solubility.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.301-307
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• 2011

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of kaempferol on the pharmacokinetics of nimodipine in rats. Nimodipine and kaempferol interact with cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes and P-glycoprotein (P-gp), and the increase in the use of health supplements may result in kaempferol being taken concomitantly with nimodipine as a combination therapy to treat orprevent cardiovascular disease. The effect of kaempferol on P-gp and CYP3A4 activity was evaluated and Pharmacokinetic parameters of nimodipine were determined in rats after an oral (12 mg/kg) and intravenous (3 mg/kg) administration of nimodipine to rats in the presence and absence of kaempferol (0.5, 2.5, and 10 mg/kg). Kaempferol inhibited CYP3A4 enzyme activity in a concentration-dependent manner with 50% inhibition concentration ($IC_{50}$) of $17.1{\mu}M$. In addition, kaempferol significantly enhanced the cellular accumulation of rhodamine-123 in MCF-7/ADR cells overexpressing P-gp. Compared to the oral control group, the area under the plasma concentration-time curve ($AUC_{0-\infty}$) and the peak plasma concentration ($C_{max}$) of nimodipine significantly increased, respectively. Consequently, the absolute bioavailability of nimodipine in the presence of kaempferol (2.5 and 10 mg/kg) was 29.1-33.3%, which was significantly enhanced compared to the oral control group (22.3%). Moreover, the relative bioavailability of nimodipine was 1.30- to 1.49-fold greater than that of the control group. The pharmacokinetics of intravenous nimodipine was not affected by kaempferol in contrast to those of oral nimodipine. Kaempferol significantly enhanced the oral bioavailability of nimodipine, which might be mainly due to inhibition of the CYP3A4-mediated metabolism of nimodipine in the small intestine and /or in the liver and to inhibition of the P-gp efflux transporter in the small intestine by kaempferol. The increase in oral bioavailability of nimodipine in the presence of kaempferol should be taken into consideration of potential drug interactions between nimodipine and kaempferol.