Bioenhancers or biopotentiators or bioavailability enhancers is a new chapter in medical science first scientifically established in 1979 after the discovery of world's first bioenhancer piperine. It is a pocket friendly drug technology which reduces the destruction, wastage and elimination of several orally administered drugs inside the body.
Definition Bioenhancers are defined as substances that increase the bioavailability leading to increased bioefficacy of active substances with which they are combined without having any pharmacological activity of their own at the dose used. They may enhance bioavailability of allopathic drugs, vitamins, nutrients and toxins depending on its mechanism of action. For example, piperine increases bioavailability of several nutrients such as beta-carotene, vitamin A, vitamin B6, coenzyme Q10, drugs such as phenytoin, theophylline, propanolol and a toxin called aflatoxin B1.
Increased Bioavailabiity means increased levels of drug in the blood stream available for drug action. Increased Bioefficacy means the increased effectiveness of the drug due to increased bioavailability or due to other mechanisms.
History
An observation made in 1929 by Bose describes an increased antiasthmatic activity of vasaka leaves when pepper was added to it. No explanation for this observation was given nor any studies were done to explain the observation. The breakthrough in bioenhancers was finally provided about 50 years later in 1979 by Dr. C. K. Atal, director of RRL Jammu, who was researching on medicinal plants. Bioenhancers or bioavailability enhancers as a term and chapter did not exist in any modern scientific literature prior to 1979. The term bioavailability enhancers was first coined in 1979 at Indian Institute of Integrative medicine, Jammu, formerly RRL, Jammu, by Indian scientists Dr. C. K. Atal, the Director of institute RRL Jammu proposed the hypothesis of increased bioavailability of drugs from a clue during research on traditional medicinal drugs. Subsequently, the concept of bioavailability enhancers was scientifically researched and scientifically established by him and his research team at RRL Jammu. The institute then discovered and scientifically validated Piperine as the world's first bioenhancer using Sparteine and Vasicine which became the world's first experimentally bioenhanced drugs. Dr. Atal also initiated the bioenhanced anti tubercular drug research project using Rifampicin which later resulted in development of world's first bioenhanced anti tubercular drug formulation. This DCGI approved formulation was officially released by Indian government at Anusandhan Bhawan Delhi on world tuberculosis day 2011, and also presented to Mr. Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft same day at a function at Le Meridian in Delhi.
After the discovery of bioenhancer Piperine in 1979, a new chapter was added in medical science. Since then it has generated global interest and research in the field and has led to discovery of many other new bioenhancers. Piperine remains the most potent and extensively researched bioenhancer till date. It is safe, effective, extremely economical and easily manufactured for commercial use. It is also a broad spectrum bioenhancer acting on several classes of modern drugs as noted elsewhere.
Classification
Bioenhancers can be classified according to their source of origin, either plant based or animal based or else according to their site of action. Bioenhancers so far almost exclusively discovered in plants, increase the bioavailability of other substances in different ways: Increase of absorption in the intestine Inhibition of degradation in the intestine and the liver by inhibition of drug metabolising enzymes (inhibiting first pass mechanism of destruction of drugs). Inhibition of elimination in the drug in gut and through bile by inhibition of efflux pumps. Increase of drug permeability of pathogens. Inhibition of defense mechanisms of pathogens or tumor tissue (such as efflux of drugs) Increasing binding possibilities on binding sites (such as DNA and proteins) of the pathogen Improving overcoming of the blood–brain barrier
Advantages of Bioenhancers
Reduced dose
Bioenhancers prevent this wastage of ingested drugs inside the body and increase quantity of drug reaching the blood, therefore a reduced dosage of oral drug is sufficient to achieve the desired blood levels.
Reduced raw material consumption
This reduced dose needed for desired drug action means beneficial effect on raw materials consumption required to develop drugs which is a great savings for any country.