Food components and herbal substances can inhibit or enhance the therapeutic effects of drugs, thus influencing their efficacy and safety. As relatively little in known of these interactions, the aim of this review is to shed further light on the potentially dangerous influences that food and herbs may have on cytochrome P450 enzyme (CYP) and monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity in the first stage of drug biotransformation. The review includes documented cases in which such interactions have led to health complications in patients. For example, fruit juices, such as grapefruit juice, cranberry juice, and pomegranate juice, have been found to interact with drugs, and to particularly inhibit CYP450 activity, and commonly used herbs are known to inhibit (e.g., Astragalus membranous) or induce (e.g., Hypericum perforatum) CYP enzymes involved in drug metabolism. CYP is also induced by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), found in grilled meat and tobacco smoke. The paper also discusses the toxic effects of tyramine, present in inter alia blue cheese, resulting from interactions with MAO-metabolised drugs. Most importantly, while the quantity of food and herbs consumed plays a significant role in the described drug interactions, it is possible for toxic effects to be observed even after the consumption of relatively small amounts. Patients are encouraged to consult a healthcare provider about any potential drug interactions that may occur when starting a new medication.

The aim of the present work was to compare the oxidative system in the fourth-instar larvae of four species of Diptera belonging to the family Chironomidae: Chironomus riparius, Paratanytarsus sp., Prodiamesa olivacea and Conchapelopia melanops. These species were selected based on their ecological and biological differences and were assessed in relation to their ecological and biological characteristics. The following parameters of oxidative stress were determined: the levels of total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and reduced glutathione; the activity of the antioxidant enzyme catalase (CAT); the level of malondialdehyde (MDA), a product of lipid peroxidation; and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity. Results demonstrated significant differences among taxa in the specific activity of most investigated parameters. Prodiamesa olivacea showed the greatest antioxidant protection (activity of CAT, level of reduced glutathione (GSH)) and the highest detoxification activities (activity of GST and level of GSH). Predatory C. melanops was shown to be the most promiscuous biomarker for assessing the total antioxidant activity. We demonstrate that the four chironomid taxa, occupying the same ecosystem, share an important antioxidant enzymatic and non-enzymatic pool, but with oxidative stress parameters differing among the four species.