Objective: To investigate the interaction between allicin and omeprazole and to observe the effects of allicin on CYP2C19 and CYP3A4 activity in healthy Chinese male volunteers with different CYP2C19 genotypes.
Methods: Eighteen subjects (six CYP2C19*1/CYP2C19*1, four CYP2C19*1/CYP2C19*2, two CYP2C19*1/ CYP2C19*3, and six CYP2C19*2/ CYP2C19*2) were enrolled in a two-phase randomized crossover trial. In each phase, all subjects received placebo or a 180 mg allicin capsule once daily for 14 consecutive days. The pharmacokinetics of omeprazole (20 mg orally on day 15) was determined for up to 12 h following administration by high-performance liquid chromatography.
Results: In carriers of the CYP2C19*1/CYP2C19*1 and CYP2C19*1/CYP2C19*2 or *3 genotype, allicin treatment increased the peak plasma concentration (C(max)) of omeprazole by 49.7 +/- 7.2 (p < 0.001) and 54.2 +/- 9.2% (p < 0.001), and increased the area under the plasma time-concentration curve (AUC(0-infinity)) of omeprazole by 48.1 +/- 9.0 (p = 0.001) and 73.6 +/- 26.7% (p < 0.001), respectively. The ratio of AUC(0-infinity) of 5-hydroxyomeprazole to omeprazole (a marker for CYP2C19 activity) decreased significantly (p < 0.001 and p = 0.001, respectively). However, no pharmacokinetic parameters were significantly changed by allicin in CYP2C19*2/CYP2C19*2. The C(max) and AUC(0-infinity) of omeprazole sulfone were unchanged in all three genotypes.
Conclusions: Allicin reduced the metabolism of omeprazole by inhibiting CYP2C19 activity in individuals with the CYP2C19*1/CYP2C19*1 and CYP2C19*1/CYP2C19*2 or *3 genotypes, but not in those with the CYP2C19*2/ CYP2C19*2 genotype. Allicin did not significantly affect the activity of CYP3A4 in all subjects.