Abstract

Context: Herbal drugs are a mixture of active compounds and the chemical complexity of each formulation increase with the possibility of interactions between them and conventional drugs. Many mechanisms are implicated in the interactions; scientific community has dedicated the attentions to enzymes as P-gp and CYP450. Aims: To investigate in the literature the principal plants with suspicions of adverse reactions in Cuba and their potential interactions with conventional drugs. Methods: PubMed was the database used as source of information until February 2014. Key words: Herb-Drug, Drug-Plant, Herbal–Drug, Interactions with scientific names of plants was used. Information was structured and analysed with EndNote X4. Analysis and integration of the information: Allium sativum L. (garlic) was the plant with the high number of studies related with CYP450 and P-gp. Plants with great demand as Morinda citrifolia L. (noni), Psidium guajava L. (guayaba), Zingiber officinale Roscoe (ginger) and Eucalyptus spp. (eucalyptus) have a very small number of studies. The professionals of the health should keep in mind the possibility of interactions between herbal products and conventional drugs to increase the effectiveness of phytotherapy. Conclusions: It is necessary enhance reports and investigations and to put to disposition of the system of health information on the interactions of plants and to stimulate the investigation that offers information for the rational use of our medicinal plants.

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