Copyright © The Author(s) 2022. This article is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License 1 RESEARCH ARTICLE Open Access The potential interaction between antiepileptic drugs and nutraceuticals used in pediatrics with epilepsy Acta Pharmaciae Indonesia: Acta Pharm Indo E-ISSN 2621-4520 Endriastuti et al (2022) Vol 10(1): 4352 https://doi.org/10.20884/1.api.2022.10.1.4352 ABSTRACT Background: The trend of using nutraceuticals in Indonesia increases every year. This study aims to describe nutraceuticals consumed in pediatrics with epilepsy as additional antiepileptic therapy and analyze their potential drug interactions. Methods: This research was cross-sectional study with total sampling method which was carried out in the period of June to July 2020. Inclusion criteria were children with epilepsy aged 0-17 years who were members of the Indonesian Epilepsy Community, had a doctor’s diagnosis of epilepsy, received oral antiepileptic medication, and took nutraceutical products/food supplements. Data were analyzed descriptively based on data obtained through electronic data filling sheets and interviews. Results: There were 106 participants from the Indonesian Epilepsy Community in total, with 14 children (13.2 %) using nutraceutical supplements. They were male (n=8; 57.1%), 2-12 years old (n=10; 71.4%), and good nutritional status (n=10; 71.4%). Most nutraceuticals consumed were dietary supplements containing vitamins (n=10; 71.4%). Of the eight potential drug interactions identified, 25% (n=2) were significant interactions, and 75% (n=6) were minor interactions. The potential for major interactions occurred in administering nutraceutical products containing vitamin D with the antiepileptic drug phenytoin and phenobarbital. Conclusion: In this study, nutraceuticals and antiepileptic drugs had little clinically meaningful interaction effect. Keywords: antiepileptic, children, nutraceutical Nialiana Endah Endriastuti *, Masita Wulandari Suryoputri , Dewi Latifatul Ilma Tunggul Adi Purwonugroho Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Jenderal Soedirman University, Purwokerto, Central Java 53123, Indonesia *Corresponding author: Jl Dr. Soeparno Karangwangkal, Purwokerto 53123, Indonesia. E-mail: nialiana@unsoed.ac.id Introduction The use of nutraceutical products in Indonesia continues to increase every year. Nutraceutical products are gaining popularity in the food and pharmaceutical industries because people are becoming more concerned about their health [1]. Nutraceuticals are present as pharmaceutical dosage forms in powder, capsule, tablet, semi-solid, and liquid forms. Nutraceuticals are defined as foods or parts of foods that provide medical or health benefits in the form of pharmaceutical preparations for the prevention and or treatment of disease. According to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation, most nutraceuticals are classified as “food supplements”. Nutraceutical contains functional foods and bioactive nutrients such as proteins, vitamins, minerals, and compounds derived from natural sources. Nutraceuticals can be found in various forms, including dietary supplements and herbal containing isolated compounds or extracts. Nutraceuticals are classified in various ways, including based on chemical properties and the mechanism of action of bioactive compounds [1]. People are more aware of nutraceutical functions, and mostly they take food supplements containing vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin E [2]. Herbal supplements as nutraceutical products can be helpful as antioxidants and reduce oxidative stress levels [3]. Nutraceutical is one of the adjunct therapies for the