Variation in Furanocoumarin Content and New Furanocoumarin Dimers in Commercial Grapefruit ( Citrus paradisi Macf.) Juices

ABSTRACT: Grapefruit ( Citrus paradisi Macf.) sales and crop value have declined during the last decade. One reason is consumer concerns about possible drug interactions. Coadministered grapefruit increases the bioavailability of some medicines because it contains furanocoumarins that inhibit an intestinal enzyme (cytochrome P450‐3A4 or CYP3A4) that normally metabolizes these drugs. Only drugs metabolized by intestinal CYP3A4 are significantly affected when taken with grapefruit juice, but the magnitude of the effect varies considerably between studies, indicating that there are differences in the amount of components responsible for CYP3A4 inhibition in commercial grapefruit juices. Content variation of 6,7‐dihydroxybergamottin, bergamottin, and 6 furanocoumarin dimers were determined for 58 commercial grapefruit juices collected over 2 seasons. The content of 6,7‐dihydroxybergamottin ranged from 0.2 to 7.7 ppm in all juices tested, and averaged 1.8 ± 0.85 ppm in the red compared with 2.9 ± 2.07 ppm for white grapefruit juices. Bergamottin content ranged from 1.6 to 7.3 ppm for all juices and averaged 3.4 ± 0.98 and 4.2 ± 1.23 ppm and in red and white grapefruit juices, respectively. Only 1 dimer varied significantly between the red and white juice types. Dihydroxybergamottin and 2 dimer compounds were significantly lower in shelf‐stable or nonrefrigerated products compared with refrigerated products whereas bergamottin and 1 dimer compound occurred at higher levels in the shelf‐stable products. Individual measured dimer compounds varied up to 60‐fold in all juices, but the sum of all 6 dimers varied only 14‐fold. The clinical significance in terms of CYP3A4 inhibition is uncertain. The presence of 3 new furanocoumarin dimers are also reported.