Planta Med 2004; 70(12): 1155-1160
DOI: 10.1055/s-2004-835844
Original Paper
Pharmacology
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Effect of Food Intake on the Bioavailability of Boswellic Acids from a Herbal Preparation in Healthy Volunteers

Vanessa Sterk1 , Berthold Büchele1 , Thomas Simmet1
  • 1Department of Pharmacology of Natural Products & Clinical Pharmacology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
Further Information

Publication History

Received: March 12, 2004

Accepted: August 19, 2004

Publication Date:
10 January 2005 (online)

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Abstract

In this study we investigated the effects of concomitant food intake on the bioavailability of distinct boswellic acids (BAs) from the test preparation BSE-018, a dry extract from Boswellia serrata gum resin. In a randomised, open, single-dose, two-way crossover study, healthy male subjects received three capsules of BSE-018 equivalent to 786 mg dry extract of Boswellia serrata gum resin either in the fasted state or together with a standardised high-fat meal. BA plasma concentrations were analysed for up to 60 h after oral dosing by reversed phase HPLC. As compared to the fasted state (treatment A), the administration of BSE-018 concomitantly with a high-fat meal (treatment B) led to several-fold increased areas under the plasma concentration-time curves as well as peak concentrations of β-boswellic acid (βBA), 11-keto-β-boswellic acid (KβBA) and acetyl-11-keto-β-boswellic acid (AKβBA). Plasma levels of both acetyl-α-boswellic acid (AαBA) and αBA became only detectable when administered with treatment B, i. e., the high-fat meal. Accordingly, pharmacokinetic data could be calculated for βBA, KβBA and AKβBA (treatment A) and for βBA, KβBA, AKβBA, αBA, and AαBA (treatment B). For the first time these data reveal detailed kinetics of BAs after oral dosing of an extract and demonstrate a profound effect of food intake on the pharmacokinetic profile of the BAs. This finding should be very important whenever BAs would be considered for therapeutic use.

References

Dr. Thomas Simmet

Department of Pharmacology of Natural Products and Clinical Pharmacology

University of Ulm

Helmholtzstr. 20

89081 Ulm

Germany

Fax: +49-731-500-24280

Email: thomas.simmet@medizin.uni-ulm.de