A Comparison Between Lignans from Creosote Bush and Flaxseed and Their Potential to Inhibit Cytochrome P450 Enzyme Activity

The popularity in natural product use we witness today arose from a growing public skepticism about taking “pharmaceutical chemicals” to treat illness. Such skepticism was supplanted by a public perception that “medications” from natural sources are safer to use and have similar efficacies as their pharmaceutical equivalents. The diverse assortment of natural products on the shelves of pharmacies, health food stores, and grocery stores attest to this enhanced public demand, but has compelled regulatory agencies to question the adequacy of the safety and efficacy data associated with the use of these products (Natural Health Products Directorate 2007). In the current regulatory environment, full realization of the wellness and therapeutic value of these natural products can only come about with more rigorous assessments of their safety and efficacy.