gms | German Medical Science

16. Jahreskongress für Klinische Pharmakologie

Verbund Klinische Pharmakologie in Deutschland

09. - 10. Oktober 2014, Köln

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Valerian: No Clinically Relevant Interactions

Meeting Abstract

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  • presenting/speaker O. Kelber - Steigerwald Arzneimittelwerk GmbH, Scientific Department – Darmstadt, Deutschland; Kooperation Phytopharmaka – Bonn, Deutschland
  • K. Kraft - Kooperation Phytopharmaka – Bonn, Deutschland; Universitätsmedizin Rostock, Lehrstuhl für Naturheilkunde – Rostock, Deutschland
  • K. Nieber - Kooperation Phytopharmaka – Bonn, Deutschland; Universität Leipzig, Pharmazeutisches Institut – Leipzig, Deutschland

16. Jahreskongress für Klinische Pharmakologie. Köln, 09.-10.10.2014. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2014. Doc14vklipha41

doi: 10.3205/14vklipha41, urn:nbn:de:0183-14vklipha416

Published: September 25, 2014

© 2014 Kelber et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.en). You are free: to Share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work, provided the original author and source are credited.

Outline

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Aim: In recent popular publications directed to cancer patients as well as in widely-used patient information websites (e. g. http://www.cancer.org/ or http://www.mskcc.org/) valerian is claimed to have a potential of adverse interactions with anti-cancer drugs, thereby questioning its widespread use as a safe replacement for benzodiazepines.

Method: A systematic review on the interaction potential of valerian preparations was conducted. Literature on Valeriana officinalis L. was retrieved by systematic data base search and by search in a clinical drug interaction data base (MedIQ).

Results: In several in vitro and in vivo animal studies on CYP 450 isoenzymes (CYP 450 1A2, 2D6, 2E1 and 3A4), p-glycoprotein and two uridine 5´-diphospho-glucuronosyltrans-ferase (UGT) isoenzymes (UGT) a rather weak interaction potential was shown. However, the methodological assessment of these studies does not support their suitability for the prediction of clinically relevant interactions. Clinical studies on CYP 450 1A2, 2D6, 2E1 and 3A4 and case reports did not reveal relevant interaction potentials of valerian root preparations.

Conclusion: The interaction potential of valerian preparations is low and unlikely to be clinically relevant, suggesting that their use is safe also in cancer patients.