Effect of Casilan(®) on (13)C-caffeine metabolism in overnight-fasted healthy Nigerian children

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of Casilan(®) on (13)C-caffeine metabolism in healthy Nigerian children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twelve healthy Nigerian children (male: six, female: six) aged 3–8 years were studied on three occasions. After an overnight fast, the children were studied after ingesting Casilan(®) only (Week 1). They were restudied after ingesting 3 mg/kg of labeled caffeine only (Week 2), and further re-studied after ingesting both Casilan(®) and labeled caffeine (Week 3). Breath samples were collected by blowing via a straw into an exentainer bottle. The cumulative percentage of (13)C-caffeine exhaled as (13)CO(2) was measured over 2 h. RESULTS: The time courses of (13)C-enrichments in exhaled CO(2) for all the children, after they had ingested labeled caffeine only and after they had ingested both Casilan(®) and labeled caffeine, were identical. There was a gradual rise and peak of the enrichments at about 60–75 min, followed by a gradual fall (II) or a plateau (III). Contrarily, the time course of (13)C-enrichments for all the children was consistently low and stable after they had ingested Casilan(®) only (I). The mean values of cumulative percent (13)C-doses recovered in the CO(2) exhaled over a 2-h period, after ingesting labeled caffeine only (8.59 ± 1.10 δ%/mg) and after ingesting both Casilan(®) and labeled caffeine (8.58 ± 1.33 δ%/mg), were identical, with no statistically significant difference (P = 0.972). This suggests that Casilan(®) did not affect the CYP1A2 metabolic pathway. CONCLUSIONS: Casilan(®) is a safe, reliable and quantitative food supplement for overnight-fasted children undergoing caffeine breath test.