Mustard oil glycosides are effective against MRSA
17.11.2009 16:40
New study published by the University of Freiburg
The problematic germ MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcusaureus) is now also becoming an increasingly larger problem in Germany: 40,000 to 50,000 patients become infected every year, and around 1,500 deaths are due to MRSA.
While chemical antibiotics are failing more and more often, there are still substances in nature that have an effect: for example mustard oil glycosides. A study at the Freiburg University Hospital has shown that mustard oil glycosides from nasturtium herb and horseradish root, such as those in ANGOCIN®Anti-Infekt N, have a pronounced germ-inhibiting effect against 13 types of bacteria, even against MRSA.
Since the mustard oils in our body accumulate primarily in the bladder and lungs, they are particularly effective and well tolerated in the case of bacterial respiratory and urinary tract infections
An alternative to antibiotics. In contrast to chemical antibiotics, no development of resistance is known for this herbal medicine, even after long-term therapy.
MRSA is widespread worldwide. According to a current report by the European Medicines Agency EMEA and the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), 25,000 people die in Europe every year from infections caused by multi-resistant pathogens, with an annual cost to society as a whole of 1.5 billion euros. According to the report, the proportion of antibiotic-resistant pathogens in severe infections in several EU countries has already reached 25 percent or more. “Despite this worrying development, the prescription of antibiotics is not being reduced, even though antibiotics are often prescribed unnecessarily and there are now alternative treatment options,” complains Dr. Dr. Erwin Häringer, doctor for general medicine and naturopathy from Munich.
Active in the gram-positive and gram-negative range
With the help of a special gas test, the pronounced germ-inhibiting effect of mustard oils from nasturtium herb and horseradish root on a total of 13 clinically relevant pathogens of bacterial infections of the urinary tract and the respiratory tract was tested in Freiburg (Conrad et al. 2006, Conrad et al. 2009 in preparation). The gram-positive pathogens examined also included some antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains that were relevant to infectious diseases and hospital hygiene, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. The in vitro studies show that benzyl mustard oil from nasturtium has a broad antibacterial effect in the gram-positive and gram-negative range. Allyl mustard oil from horseradish root shows good effectiveness in the gram-positive spectrum, while 2-phenyl mustard oil has an extended spectrum of activity in the gram-negative range. Both plant substances together form a particularly effective herbal alternative to chemical antibiotics.
Mustard oils – effective against MRSA and other multi-resistant pathogens
“The plant combination,” says Häringer, “was even found to be active against some problem germs that are already resistant to many antibiotics, such as MRSA, vancomycin-resistant enterococci or penicillin-resistant pneumococci.” As the most recent study (Conrad et al. 2009, publication in preparation) shows, there are no significant differences in effect between the multi-resistant and the corresponding non-resistant phenotypes.
This means that the mustard oil glycosides from ANGOCIN®Anti-Infekt N can be a treatment option even if resistant or multi-resistant pathogens are detected. It also shows that the inhibitory effect of mustard oils on the metabolism of bacteria cannot be explained by the known mechanisms of action of chemical antibiotics.
Häringer advocates using chemical antibiotics in a more targeted manner and, for example, using herbal remedies such as mustard oils for uncomplicated viral and bacterial infections. This could not only significantly reduce the development of resistance, but also save large amounts of money in the health system. In the case of really serious infections that can potentially become life-threatening, chemical antibiotics are of course indispensable. “And it is precisely in these cases that we have to ensure that resistance does not continue to increase,” says Häringer.