Eschborn – According to a recent meta-analysis published in The Lancet, antibiotic-resistant germs were responsible for at least 1.2 million deaths worldwide in 2019[1]. In order to counteract the problem of resistance, experts have been calling for antibiotics for uncomplicated infections such as urinary and respiratory tract infections for many years, but prefer proven antibacterial plant substances such as mustard oils (isothiocyanates) from nasturtium and horseradish (in ANGOCIN® Anti-infection N) as first-line therapy[2]. A new international in-vitro study now provides further evidence that the benzyl mustard oil contained in nasturtium even has a pronounced antibacterial effect against problem germs such as MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) Has[3]. Already earlier in vitroStudies at the University of Fribourg[4] as well as several international research papers[5-7] confirm the broad spectrum of antibacterial effects of mustard oils, even against dangerous bacteria such as MRSA, Klebsiella, vancomycin-resistant enterococci (AER) or resistant Escherichia coli (E. coli)-tribes. “The use of the herbal medicine in acute, uncomplicated infections of the urinary and respiratory tract can make an important contribution to stopping the deadly threat of resistant pathogens,” says the microbiologist and hygienist Prof. Uwe Frank, Freiburg, who is responsible for the basic research on the carried out mustard oils.
Antibiotic resistance is one of the leading causes of death worldwide and thus one of the greatest threats to human health, as the authors of the analysis published in the Lancet make clear[1]. According to this, in 2019 more than 100,000 deaths worldwide were due to infections alone MRSA attributed. MRSA is one of the pathogens that most often cause problems with resistance. The germ is a frequent and dangerous cause of nosocomial infections. A recent study from the USA also shows that MRSA-Carriers: have significantly increased mortality rates[8]. For example, those who carried the bacterium on their skin – usually unknowingly – had twice the risk of dying within the next 10 years as MRSA-Non-carriers. But not in study participants who carried staph on their skin MRSAno increased risk of premature death was detectable.
Extensive study situation – broad spectrum of antibacterial activity
Mustard oils from nasturtium and horseradish have been used in traditional medicine for centuries to treat infections of the urinary and respiratory tract. Numerous studies prove the broad spectrum of antibacterial effects of the plant substances[4-7]. In the current study by the University of Shaanxi/ China[3] benzyl mustard oil from nasturtium was able to inhibit the growth of MRSA-Contain pathogens. In an earlier study by Portuguese scientists, benzyl mustard oil was even found to have a pronounced bactericidal effect MRSA established[7].
in vitroStudies by the University of Freiburg confirm that the combination of mustard oils from nasturtium and horseradish has a pronounced germ-inhibiting effect on all 13 pathogens of respiratory and urinary tract infections analyzed in the study and relevant in practice[4]. Next to MRSA were there, among other things, streptococci, AER and ESBL-forming E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae analyzed. The investigations of the Freiburg researchers also showed that the combination of the two plants and the mustard oils they contain (mixing ratio as in ANGOCIN® Anti-infection N) complement each other in their effect and thus a particularly broad spectrum of antibacterial effects can be achieved. In addition, the plant substances inhibit uropathogens E. coli (UPEC) as well as their adhesion and motility and they prevent the formation of bacterial biofilms – a bacterial mechanism that is often associated with recurrent urinary tract infections[9-12]. Because of the multimodal effects of mustard oils, the development of possible resistance mechanisms in bacteria is significantly more difficult[13-15]. “In view of the dramatic development of resistance and the search for new antimicrobial substances that do not cause resistance, the anti-infective potential of mustard oils is therefore of great value,” Frank sums up. Numerous other research projects also certify that the plant medicine has a pronounced anti-inflammatory effect, which makes a significant contribution to improving the symptoms of acute respiratory and urinary tract infections[16-18].
Nasturtium and horseradish root recommended in two guidelines
Based on the comprehensive scientific data on the efficiency of mustard oils from nasturtium and horseradish, their use has been
2017 recommended in the S3 guideline “uncomplicated urinary tract infections” for frequently recurrent cystitis[19]. The good study situation and tolerability of the mustard oil mixture has also been taken into account since 2021 by the updated S2k guideline “Urinary tract infections in childhood”. The guideline recommends: Mustard oils from nasturtium and horseradish can be used as a supportive measure in uncomplicated recurrent cystitis in late childhood and adolescence[20].
ANGOCINE® Anti-infection N
Application areas: To improve the symptoms of acute inflammatory diseases of the bronchi, sinuses and urinary tract. Composition: 1 film-coated tablet contains: Nasturtium herb 200 mg, horseradish root 80 mg. Other ingredients: Cellulose, iron oxides and hydroxides E 172, hypromellose, potato starch, macrogol, sodium carboxymethyl starch, colloidal silica, stearic acid, talc, titanium dioxide E 171. Contraindications: Acute stomach and intestinal ulcers and/or acute kidney inflammation, allergy to nasturtium herb, horseradish root or any of the other ingredients. Side effects: Common: Stomach and intestinal problems such as nausea, upper abdominal pressure, diarrhea, flatulence or heartburn. Uncommon: Systemic allergic reactions and skin hypersensitivity reactions (e.g. flushing, rash and/or itching). Pharmaceutic entrepreneur: Repha GmbH Biological Drugs, Alt-Godshorn 87, 30855 Langenhagen.
Literature:
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