The gram-negative bacterium Helicobacter pylori (HP), identified in 1982, is now recognized as the primary etiological factor associated with the development of gastritis and peptic ulcer disease. In addition, HP infections are also associated with chronic gastritis, gastric carcinoma and primary gastric B-cell lymphoma. For centuries, herbals have been used in traditional medicine to treat a wide range of ailments, including gastrointestinal (GI) disorders such as dyspepsia, gastritis and peptic ulcer disease (PUD). However, the mechanism of action by which these botanicals exert their therapeutic effects has not been completely elucidated. As part of an ongoing screening program, the study assessed the in vitro susceptibility of 15 HP strains to botanical extracts, which have a history of traditional use in the treatment of GI disorders. Methanol extracts of Myristica fragrans (seed) had a MIC of 12.5 microg/mL; Zingiber officinale (ginger rhizome/root) and Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary leaf) had an MIC of 25 microg/mL. Methanol extracts of botanicals with a MIC of 50 microg/mL included Achillea millefolium, Foeniculum vulgare (seed), Passiflora incarnata (herb), Origanum majorana (herb) and a (1:1) combination of Curcuma longa (root) and ginger rhizome. Botanical extracts with a MIC of 100 microg/mL included Carum carvi (seed), Elettaria cardamomum (seed), Gentiana lutea (roots), Juniper communis (berry), Lavandula angustifolia (flowers), Melissa officinalis (leaves), Mentha piperita (leaves) and Pimpinella anisum (seed). Methanol extracts of Matricaria recutita (flowers) and Ginkgo biloba (leaves) had a MIC > 100 microg/mL.

Methanol extracts of the rhizomes of Sanguinaria canadensis, and the roots and rhizomes of Hydrastis canadensis, two plants used traditionally for the treatment of gastrointestinal ailments, were screened for in vitro antibacterial activity against 15 strains of Helicobacter pylori. The rhizome extracts, as well as a methanol extract of S. canadensis suspension-cell cultures inhibited the growth of H. pylori in vitro, with a MIC50 range of 12.5-50.0 microg/ml. Three isoquinoline alkaloids were identified in the active fraction. Sanguinarine and chelerythrine, two benzophenanthridine alkaloids, inhibited the growth of the bacterium, with an MIC50 of 50.0 and 100.0 microg/ml, respectively. Protopine, a protopine alkaloid, also inhibited the growth of the bacterium, with a MIC50 of 100 microg/ml. The crude methanol extract of H. canadensis rhizomes was very active, with an MIC50 of 12.5 microg/ml. Two isoquinoline alkaloids, berberine and beta-hydrastine, were identified as the active constituents, and having an MIC50 of 12.5 and 100.0 microg/ml, respectively.

In 1994, Helicobacter pylori was classified as a group I carcinogen and a definite cause of gastric cancer in humans by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (1). Since then, H. pylori has been epidemiologically linked to adenocarcinoma of the distal stomach (2,3), and a recent study has also found a positive association between H. pylori infection and colorectal adenomas (4). CagA is the strain-specific H. pylori gene that has been linked to the development of premalignant and malignant histological lesions (5). Thus, susceptibility of cagA+ H. pylori strains is of note because, as compared with cagAstrains, infections caused by cagA+ strains significantly increase the risk for developing severe gastric inflammation, atrophic gastritis, and noncardia gastric adenocarcinoma (5). Previously, we have demonstrated that resveratrol, a stilbene from red wine, inhibited the growth of 15 clinical strains of H. pylori in vitro and suggested that the anti-H. pylori activity of resveratrol may play a role in its chemopreventative effects (6). In this investigation, the antibacterial activities of two red wine extracts (Pinot Noir) and resveratrol were assessed against five cagA+ H. pylori strains: accession numbers M23-3, GTD7-13, G1-1, SS1 (Sydney Strain cagA+), and the ATCC 43504 (Rockville, MD) possessing the cagA+ gene and expressing vacuolating cytotoxin. The H. pylori cagA+ strains were obtained from Drs.

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A combination of microplate technology and turbidity assessment for testing the adherence of P-fimbriated Escherichia coli to human uroepithelial cell line T24, validated with the addition of the known inhibitor 4-O-alpha-D-galactopyranosyl-alpha-D-galactopyranose (galabiose), resulted in a high-throughput, biologically relevant assessment of cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon). P-fimbriated ATCC E. coli strains 25922, 29194, and 49161 were inhibited by galabiose. ATCC 29194, a representative urine isolate containing the papGII allele (Class II fimbrial adhesin) and demonstrating the most significant inhibition in the presence of galabiose, was chosen for further testing. In this assay, a low-polarity fraction of cranberry juice cocktail demonstrated dose-dependent inhibition of E. coli adherence. Reported here, for the first time in V. macrocarpon, are 1-O-methylgalactose, prunin, and phlorizin, identified in an active fraction of cranberry juice concentrate. This in vitro assay will be useful for the standardization of cranberry dietary supplements and is currently being used for bioassay-guided fractionation of cranberry juice concentrate.