Herbs to combat the threat of microbial resistance to antibiotics
Herbs to combat the threat of microbial resistance to antibiotics
A paper from the European Herbal and Traditional Medicine Practitioners Association (EHTPA) for the House of Commons Select Committee on Science and Technology’s antimicrobial resistance (AMR) inquiry.
Executive Summary:
In light of growing concerns relating to microbial resistance to antibiotics increasing attention is being given to the role that herbal medicines may play as autonomous anti-bacterial agents or as adjuvant treatments used to potentiate conventional drugs. This paper selectively reviews the evidence for herbal medicine as a valuable resource to combat bacterial resistance to antibiotics and suggests that further research is warranted.
- Synergy is an important characteristic determining the medicinal action of many herbal medicines occurring at pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic level1 2 and a number of papers have been published investigating potential benefits conferred by the synergism of phytoconstituents3 4 5 6. In particular, researchers have demonstrated that combining antibiotics with plant medicines can enhance the action of antibiotics thereby overcoming antibiotic resistance7.
- This is achieved in three main ways: firstly by means of a combined phytochemical and antibiotic attack on the bacterial cell wall - epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) as found in green tea and carob powder is effective in this regard. Secondly, antibiotic resistance can be overcome by inhibition of enzymes that are generated by bacteria for the deactivation of antibiotics (again EGCG is active here) or by thirdly by disabling an efflux pumping system developed by several bacteria in order to prevent potentially destructive compounds such as antibiotics from penetrating into the bacteria, or to expel the antibiotics out of the bacteria cell once they have invaded it8.
Scoping the Evidence for the Effectiveness of Herbal Medicine in UK
Scoping the Evidence for the Effectiveness of Herbal Medicine in UK
A selective review on behalf of the European Herbal and Traditional Medicine Practitioners Association (EHTPA), January 2014. Mc Clure, L. (PhD), Flower, A. (PhD), Price, S. (PhD)
A summary: Heike Brunner/ PR- ANME e.V.
A recent systematic review of research into the use of complementary medicine estimated that in the first decade of this century more than a third of UK citizens used herbal medication. Herbal medicines are frequently used in the treatment of long-term conditions which are inadequately managed by conventional biomedicine. In this respect herbal medicine will advance to be one of the main factors in the health sector for the treatment of the expanding chronic diseases as a single or complementary therapy.
The history of the traditional use of herbal medicine is stretching back hundreds and in some cases thousands of years. Whereas current biochemical medicine is relatively recent and was established and revolutionized through the testing methods of Evidence Based Medicine (EBM). Here, single active substance are under examination for their effectiveness and safety.