Effect of glucomannan and the dosage form on ethinylestradiol oral absorption in rabbits

To the beneficial properties of dietary fiber in human health, several disadvantages can be added as the possible modification of the bioavailability of other drugs when administered by the oral route. In this study, the influence of glucomannan in the oral bioavailability of ethinyl estradiol (EE), when administered to female rabbits in two different dosage forms (enteric capsules and dispersed in water), was established. To carry out the study, three groups of six animals each were used. All animals received 1 mg kg(-1) oral EE, and rabbits in groups 2 and 3 received 1.5 g glucomannan dispersed in water or in enteric capsules, respectively, immediately before EE. When comparing the results obtained after the administration of EE/glucomannan dispersed in water with those obtained after the administration of this estrogen without fiber, we can see that C-max is 1.4 times lower, AUC 1.9 times lower and that t(max) is identical (10 min). However, after the administration of fiber in enteric capsules, AUC and C-max are higher (4.1 and 7.8 times, respectively) than when the estrogen was administered alone, and also, there is a delay in t(max) (20 min). After the administration of glucomannan in the enteric capsule, the fiber forms, as in the stomach, a highly viscous solution in the gut that would limit EE access to the mucosal surface delaying its absorption. However, this effect could be compensated by a reduction of EE metabolism in the intestinal wall, leading to a higher absorption of the estrogen. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.