3.7 Mechanisms of actions of herb-drug interactions
Based on the reported evidences, in the most drug interactions, induction or inhibition of hepatic and intestinal Cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) were occurred (139 cases; 69.8%). Results showed that the first phase of metabolism of chemotherapeutic agents which mostly depend on CYP3A4 was impaired. Other frequent mechanisms of herb-drug interactions were the dip of GI transit time (11 cases) and the plunge of hepatotoxicity of chemotherapeutic agents (8 cases) (table 2).