Medicinal plants consumption against urinary tract infections: a narrative review of the current evidence

ABSTRACT

Introduction

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are usual diseases caused by different strains of microorganisms. Many antibiotics have been applied for the treatment of these infections. However, the development of multidrug-resistant strains is a major problem in these treatments. As alternative complementary agents, several medicinal plants are often used to prevent and/or treat these diseases.

Areas covered

This review summarized the current evidence about the efficacy of medicinal plants’ consumption to prevent and/or co-treat UTIs. The most precise scientific databases, e.g. Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science were comprehensively searched, using relative keywords to identify the relative in vivo and ex vivo animal and human studies.

Expert opinion

Current studies supported evidence for potential benefit overall concerning medicinal plants’ consumption against UTIs by preventing bacterial adherence and inhibiting inflammation cascades through responding immunologically to bacteria invasion. However, most of the current evidence have been focused on in vivo and ex vivo animal studies, while human studies are currently limited and did not focus on a specific medicinal plant. Thus, well-designed clinical trials for long study periods focused on individual medicinal plants are intensely recommended to delineate their effectiveness on the prevention and/or co-treatment of UTIs.

KEYWORDS:

• Urinary tract
• infection
• multi-drug resistant
• medicinal plants
• herbs
• spices

Article highlights

• UTIs are common diseases, caused by many bacteria strains, such as E.coli, Enterococcus faecalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus mirabilis, and Klebsiella pneumonia.

• Many herbs and spices have shown significant antimicrobial activity, against these uropathogens, and can be used as complementary agents to antibiotics.

• Herbs and spices prevent bacterial adherence and inhibit inflammation cataracts as an immunological reaction against bacterial infection.

• Most of the current data are focused on in vivo and ex vivo animal studies, while human studies are currently limited.

• Clinical studies for long periods focused on individual herbs or spices are highly recommended to assess their effectiveness on the prophylaxis and/or co-treatment of UTIs.

• Future studies are also necessary in order to identify the molecular mechanisms of action and the specific bioactive components of herbs and spices that may act against UTIs.

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

This paper was not funded.