effects of orange, tangerine, and grapefruit juices on pharmacokinetic parameters of cyclosporine a in rats

this study was designed to investigate the effects of tangerine, orange, and grapefruit juice on the pharmacokinetic pattern of cyclosporine a in rats. forty male sprague-dawley rats were divided into four groups to receive water, orange, tangerine, or grapefruit juices respectively. water or juices (10 ml/kg) were given orally twice a day for 3 days. three hours after the 5 th dose, cyclosporine a was given as a single oral dose (5 mg/kg). blood samples (2 ml) were collected at 30, 120, and 240 min after administering cyclosporine a, and area under time-concentration curve (auc), maximal serum concentration (c max ),and time to reach maximal concentration (t max ) were calculated using one-compartment method. orange juice, but not tangerine or grapefruit juices, significantly increased the auc and c max of cyclosporine a compared with water. the three juices significantly decreased the t max of cyclosporine a. the findings suggest that thompson novel's orange juice increased the bioavailability of oral administration of cyclosporine a formulation in rats.