Planta Med 2023; 89(14): 1389
DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1774162
Abstracts
Tuesday 4th July 2023 | Poster Session II
Phytopharmacology II – Metabolism; Diabetes; Obesity; Gut

Compatibility of a specific herbal multi-component medicine for digestive disorders with the growth of selected intestinal bacteria

Michael Maier
1   Institute of Nutrition and Food Supply Management, University of Applied Sciences Weihenstephan-Triesdorf, 91746 Weidenbach, Germany
,
Maria-Riera Piqué-Borràs
2   Weleda AG, 4144 Arlesheim, Switzerland
,
Sebastian Schmelzer
1   Institute of Nutrition and Food Supply Management, University of Applied Sciences Weihenstephan-Triesdorf, 91746 Weidenbach, Germany
,
Johann Röhrl
2   Weleda AG, 4144 Arlesheim, Switzerland
,
Lydia Nausch
1   Institute of Nutrition and Food Supply Management, University of Applied Sciences Weihenstephan-Triesdorf, 91746 Weidenbach, Germany
› Author Affiliations
› Further Information
Also available ateRef
 
 

    The multi-component herbal medicine Amara oral drops consists of nine different hydroethanolic herbal extracts, Artemisia absinthium (Aa), Centaurium erythraea (Ce), Cichorium intybus (Ci), Gentiana lutea (Gl), Juniperus communis (Jc), Millefolii herba (Mh), Peucedanum ostruthium (Po), Salvia officinalis (So) and Taraxacum (T). It is indicated for treatment of moderate digestive disorders like fullness, heartburn, nausea and disturbed gastrointestinal motility. A well functioning digestion is inevitably linked to a healthy intestinal microbiota. Thus, medication should not interfere with intestinal microbes.

    We aimed to evaluate the antibacterial impact of the herbal extracts towards distinct bacterial strains using an in vitro approach.

    Dry extracts were prepared from mother tinctures of extracts used for production of the final medicinal product Amara oral drops (Amara-Tropfen). Clove, a known antibacterial spice, was used as herbal reference compound. Bacterial strains were incubated in liquid culture under constant shaking at 37°C for up to 7 h together with test samples or controls.

    No extract contained in Amara revealed antibacterial effects towards the intestinal commensal bacterial strain Escherichia coli up to a concentration of 10 mg/mL. The growth of Enterobacter cloacae and Bacillus subtilis was differentially affected by some extracts at higher concentrations. The reference extract from cloves was strongly antibiotic towards all tested bacterial strains ([Table 1]).

    Zoom
    Table 1 Overview of differential effects of herbal extracts from Amara oral drops on growth of bacterial strains in vitro.

    These results indicate that Amara oral drops are predominantly compatible with the intestinal bacterial strains E. coli and E. cloacae and might be considered as microbiome-friendly.

    Additional studies are required to further characterise the compatibility of Amara oral drops with intestinal microbiota.


     

    Publication History

    Article published online:
    16 November 2023

    © 2023. Thieme. All rights reserved.

    Georg Thieme Verlag KG
    Rüdigerstraße 14, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany

     
    Zoom
    Table 1 Overview of differential effects of herbal extracts from Amara oral drops on growth of bacterial strains in vitro.