Essential oils in the treatment of intestinal dysbiosis: a preliminary in vitro study

INTRODUCTION: Dysbiosis is associated with a number of gastrointestinal and systemic disorders. There is a need for selectively acting antimicrobial agents capable of inhibiting the growth of potentially pathogenic microorganisms, or those found to be out of balance, while not negatively impacting the bulk gastrointestinal tract microflora. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this in vitro study is to examine the potential of a selection of essential oils as agents to treat dysbiosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eight essential oils were examined using the agar dilution method, including Carum carvi, Citrus aurantium van amara, Foeniculum vulgare dulce, lllicium verum, Lavandula angustifolia, Mentha arvensis, Mentha x piperita, and Trachyspermum copticum. Doubling dilutions of the essential oils were tested against 12 species of intestinal bacteria, which represent the major genera found in the human gastrointestinal tract (GIT). RESULTS: Carum carvi, Lavandula angustifolia, Trachyspermum copticum, and Citrus aurantium van amara essential oils displayed the greatest degree of selectivity, inhibiting the growth of potential pathogens at concentrations that had no effect on the beneficial bacteria examined. CONCLUSION: The most promising essential oils for the treatment of intestinal dysbiosis are Carum carvi, Lavandula angustifolia, Trachyspermum copticum, and Citrus aurantium var. amara. The herbs from which these oils are derived have long been used in the treatment of gastrointestinal symptoms and the in vitro results of this study suggest that their ingestion will have little detrimental impact on beneficial members of the GIT microflora. More research is needed, however, to investigate tolerability and safety concerns, and verify the selective action of these agents

Risks associated with the practice of naturopathy and western herbal medicine

In assessing the need for further regulation of naturopathy and Western herbal medicine (WHM), a key objective of the present report is to determine whether the practice of naturopathy and WHM poses a significant risk of harm to public health and safety. This chapter identifies the health risks associated with naturopathy and WHM as practised in Australia. The report analyses the literature on adverse effects of naturopathy and WHM, supplemented by reports made to Australian authorities or recorded on databases of adverse events. Data on adverse events obtained from a workforce survey of naturopathic and WHM practice in Australia have been published previously (Bensoussan et al. 2004)

A rapid microtitre plate screening method for in vitro assessment of fibrinolysis: a preliminary report

A novel and precise assay that facilitates high-throughput screening of fibrinolytic agents was developed based on the automated assessment of the euglobulin clot lysis time in microtitre plates. Euglobulin fractions from fresh plasma samples were assessed over 28 days to determine the inter-assay and intra-assay precision. The intra-assay (coefficient of variation range, 0.7-2.6%) and inter-assay precision (coefficient of variation range, 6.8-12.1%) was found to be well within limits required by the Food and Drug Administration. On day 1 and day 28, the results of the microtitre plate euglobulin clot lysis time method were compared with tissue plasminogen activator activity, plasminogen activator inhibitor activity and results produced on fibrin plates. All comparisons were found to correlate significantly. The validity of this method for assaying fibrinolytic agents was assessed by comparing dose-response curves for streptokinase produced using fibrin plates and this method. The critical influence of ambient temperature on the inter-assay reproducibility of this method was established by testing samples over a range of temperatures between 20°C and 40°C. © 2004 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins