Study of combined effect of some medicinal plants and probiotics against Helicobacter pylori responsible for gastroduodenal diseases

Abstract

Combined use of probiotics and herbal medicine seems to result a decrease of the side effects of drugs used against H. pylori infection . It may also be a proper replacement for the treatment of this infection. The objectives of the present study were to study the physicochemical and the phytochemical compounds of garlic (Allium sativum), red onion (Allium cepa), fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) and cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.), to characterize their phenolic compounds using HPLC method, to evaluate the antioxidant properties of these plants and to investigate anti-Helicobacter pylori activities of the mentioned plant extracts, some probiotics such as Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Lactococcus and Streptococcus, and their combinations (invitro and invivo). The results of the physicochemical analysis found that these plants are good source of proteins, fats, fibers and energy. Also, the phytochemical analysis showed that plant extracts are rich in secondary metabolites namely total polyphenols, flavonoids, condensed and hydrolysable tannins. Chromatographic analysis of the samples identified five phytochemical molecules for red onion extract (gallic acid, quercitin, rutin, hyperoside and karempferol); one molecule for garlic extract (gallic acid); eight molecules for cumin extract (caffeic acid, isoquercetin, vanillic acid, myricetin 3-0, rutinoside, syringaresinol, citrusine, rosmarinic acid, p-coumaric acid) and seven molecules for fenugreek extract (gallic acid, sinapic acid, caffeic acid, asterogenic acid, pyrogallol, hyperoside and ferulic acid). The results of antioxidant activity measured by the DPPH method showed that all studied plants possessed a good antioxidant activities particularly fenugreek with an IC50 of 343.75 ±4.73 µg/ml. On the other hand, the results of anti-H. pylori activities revealed the presence of important inhibitory zones especially for fenugreek extract and Bifidobacterium breve combination (29 mm). Preliminary studies on the mode of action of probiotics against H. pylori revealed that the inhibition was due to lactic acid and bacteriocins. Also when H. pylori-infected rats were administered B. breve, the infection rate of H. pylori was significantly reduced, while the combination of B. breve and fenugreek extract effectively inhibited H. pylori. In addition, the B. breve and fenugreek extract complex mixture significantly reduced the stomach inflammation in H. pylori infected rats.