The Interactions of Herbal Compounds with Human Organic Anion/Cation Transporters

Abstract

The Solute Carrier transporters (SLCs) are a superfamily of membrane proteins responsible for cellular influx of various mols. The Organic anion transporting polypeptides (OATPs), Organic anion transporters (OATs) and Organic cation transporters (OCTs) are essential SLC subfamilies that largely impact on drug performance. These Organic anion/cation transporters are widely expressed in epithelium throughout the body, where they play essential roles in cellular uptake of many endogenous substances like hormones and a wide range of exogenous mols. including clin. important drugs such as statins, anti-cancer agents and antibiotics. Herbal medicines that derived from plants, fruits and vegetables have been long presumed to be safe by the general public. The growing use of herbal products together with other agents has raised many concerns due to unexpected adverse effects. Drugdrug/ herb interactions through SLC transporters often result in unsatisfied therapeutic outcomes and/or unexpected toxicities. This review will give an update on the interactions of herbal compounds with human Organic anion/cation transporters in order to form the basis of better and safer drug therapies.