Effects of mollugin on hepatic cytochrome P450 in male ICR mice as determined by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

Mollugin isolated from Rubia cordifolia is known to have anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and anti-viral activities. In the present study, a cocktail probe assay and LC-MS/MS were used to investigate the modulating effect of mollugin on cyto-chrome P450 (CYP) enzymes in male ICR mice. After mollugin was orally administrated to mice at the 20, 40, or 80 mg/kg for 3 days, the activities of CYP in hepatic S-9 fractions were investigated. Unlike the selective inhibitory effect of mollugin on CYP1A2-catalyzed phenacetin O-deethylation in vitro, mollugin only significantly inhibited the activity of CYP2E1-catalyzed chlorzoxazone 6-hydroxylase in vivo. The activities of other CYPs were only slightly altered by mollugin. The results of this study suggest that mollugin might cause herb-drug interactions via the selective inhibition of CYP2E1 in vivo.