Also indexed as: Zovirax Oral
Summary of
Interactions with Vitamins, Herbs, and Foods
In some cases, an herb or supplement may appear in more than one category, which may seem
contradictory. For clarification, read the full article for details about the summarized
interactions.
 May Be Beneficial: Supportive
interaction—Taking these supplements may support or otherwise help your medication
work better. |
Citrus root bark*
Flavonoids*
Geum japonicum*
Rhus javanica*
Syzygium aromaticum*
Terminalia chebula*
Tripterygium wilfordii*
|
| Depletion or interference |
None known
|
| Side effect reduction/prevention |
None known
|
| Reduced drug
absorption/bioavailability |
None known
|
| Adverse interaction |
None known
|
An asterisk (*) next to an item in the summary indicates that the
interaction is supported only by weak, fragmentary, and/or contradictory scientific
evidence.
Interactions with Dietary Supplements
Flavonoids
The flavonoids quercetin, quercitrin, and
apigenin enhanced the antiviral activity of acyclovir in test tube studies.1
Controlled research is needed to determine whether taking quercetin or other flavonoid
supplements would increase the effectiveness of acyclovir in humans.
Interactions with Herbs
Citrus species
The alkaloid citrusinine-1 from the root bark of citrus plants has been shown to enhance the
antiviral activity of acyclovir.2 Further research is needed to determine whether
taking citrus root bark would increase the effectiveness of acyclovir in humans.
Tripterygium wilfordii
Test tube studies show that triptofordin C-2 increases the antiviral activity of acyclovir
against the herpes virus.3
Controlled human research is needed to determine whether taking tripterygium would increase
the effectiveness of acyclovir in humans.
Other Herbs
Animal studies have shown that other herbs, including Geum japonicum, Rhus javanica,
Syzygium aromaticum, and Terminalia chebula enhance the antiviral activity of
acyclovir.4 Controlled human studies are needed to determine whether taking these
herbs would increase the effectiveness of acyclovir in humans.
References:1. Mucsi I, Gyulai Z, Beladi I. Combined effects of flavonoids and
acyclovir against herpesviruses in cell cultures. Acta Microbiol Hung
1992;39:137–47.
2. Yamamoto N, Furukawa H, Ito Y et al. Anti-herpesvirus activity of
citrusinine-I, a new acridone alkaloid, and related compounds. Antiviral Res
1989;12:21–36.
3. Hayashi K, Hayashi T, Ujita K, Takaishi Y. Characterization of
antiviral activity of a sesquiterpene, triptofordin C-2. J Antimicrob Chemother
1996;37:759–68.
4. Kurokawa M, Nagasaka K, Hirabayashi T et al. Efficacy of traditional
herbal medicines in combination with acyclovir against herpes simplex virus type 1 infection
in vitro and in vivo. Antiviral Res 1995;27:19–37.