Effect of several Chinese natural health products of human cytochrome P450 metabolism.

Purpose: Traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) are believed by many to be safe and used for self-medication without supervision. Although the risk appears to be low, certain TCM have been associated with a number of serious adverse reactions. A preliminary study was undertaken with 12 products using a human cytochrome P450 (CYP450) isozyme assay to determine if these products could affect human drug metabolism.