News & Events

When

Date - March 25, 2015
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

What

MS Thesis – 602
Title: “Inhibition of Cytochrome P450 2C9 by Essential Oils.”
Advisor Dr. Raner

Abstract:

Cytochrome P450s (CYP450) are the prominent member of a family of xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes, collectively referred to as Phase 1. Phase 1 enzymes are responsible for chemically transforming foreign species into more polar products that may be easily removed from the body. They catalyze a monooxygenase reaction that involves a substrate (RH) that is oxidized by the addition of one oxygen atom from molecular oxygen (O2). These redox reactions can result in the production of reactive oxygen species that can cause oxidative stress in cells. Reactive oxygen species include hydrogen peroxide, superoxide, hydroxyl radicals, and other related chemical species. CYP450’s are part of a broader protein family called the hemeproteins which are so-named because they use a heme prosthetic group to carry out oxidative chemistry. For this project, Cytochrome P450 2C9 was tested with essential oils to see whether there was a natural product-drug interaction. Essential oils are used in a variety of industries like the food industry, cosmetic industry, and the therapeutic industry. In total, 60 essential oils were tested to see if there was inhibition of Cytochrome P450 2C9. After potent inhibitors were identified, Michaelis-Menten kinetics, dose response assays, reversibility studies, and rate of inactivation assays were performed to better characterize the inhibitors.