How does hibiscus treat cystitis?
Who has ever had cystitis treated? Statistics state that there are 0.5 cases of the disease per woman per year. Every family, in addition to the antibiotic, always has its own “win-win” method of treatment. In my family, this is a hot heating pad on the perineal area and several cups of hot hibiscus. Always helps.
Warming certainly helps relieve symptoms, but it does not cure the infection. Maybe hibiscus cures? In the last “episode,” hugging a hot bottle, I decided to look for any publications about the therapeutic properties of hibiscus, or Hibiscus sabdariffa, also known as hibiscus tea. I didn’t expect much success, and I was wrong - there’s a whole bunch of research into the antibacterial nature of hibiscus! In this article I will provide excerpts from the most optimistic studies and, of course, links to the original articles in medical journals.
How does hibiscus treat cystitis?
An exhaustive analysis of the chemical components of hibiscus was completed in 2003 and since 2003 Hibiscus sabdariffa has been officially included in medicinal plant reference books.
Below are the formula-structures of active organic compounds in the composition of Sudanese rose:
- phenolic compounds eugenol and protocatechuic acid;
- polyphenolic compounds anthocyanins, quercetin, anthocyanodins;
- organic acids; vitamins (
source
).
Hibiscus extract has proven antibacterial potential against:
- Escherichia coli ATCC 25922
- Salmonella ATCC 5174
- Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 27736
- Proteus vulgaris ATCC 49132
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853
- Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923
- Staphylococcus epidermidis ATCC 49461
- Bacillus Cereus ATCC 10876
- Aureus, Bacillus stearothermophilus, Micrococcus luteus, Serratia marcescens, Clostridium sporogenes, E. coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Bacillus cereus, and Pseudomonas fluorescence ([source]( https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles /PMC3157304/)).
The extract competes in effectiveness with gentamicin, but for an unknown reason does not cause resistance, unlike synthetic antibiotics. The extract studied inhibits the growth of bacteria.
Antibacterial ingredients in hibiscus
The antibacterial properties of the extract are attributed to several biologically active phytochemical components in its composition: alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, phenolic compounds, triterpenes and sterols, terpenoids, anthraquinones, tannins, steroids and phenolic compounds. However, it has not yet been possible to determine exactly which components produce the effect. Separate toxicological studies of different types of extracts (aqueous, methanol, ethanol) are required. Details of the study in source .
##Efficacy of hibiscus extract against systemic infections
Hibiscus sabdariffa extract inhibits the growth of biofilms of antibiotic-resistant fungi, such as Candida Albicans, that cause urinary tract infections. Candida usually responds well to treatment and is considered a low pathogenic yeast. But under certain conditions, candidiasis turns into a systemic infection - candiduria, which is very difficult to treat and leads to serious complications, as it forms a biofilm that is resistant to available antibiotics (for example, fluconazole-resistant strains).
Hibiscus inhibits biofilm formation of fluconazole-resistant strains of Candida Albicans. This is confirmed by this study, using samples obtained from patients with recurrent candiduria. The high activity of H. sabdariffa against these strains provides a scientific basis for its use in folk medicine.
Taking hibiscus extract in parallel with an antibiotic prevents the emergence of antibiotic resistance in microbes and fungi, but the mechanism of action is under investigation. Hypothesis: phenolic compounds containing iron, which binds vital microbial proteins, work. The mechanism of action may also involve suppression of cellular processes, leading to an increase in plasma membrane permeability and ion leakage from bacterial cells.
H. Sabdariffa contains a unique polymeric compound known as proanthocyanidin. Research shows that proanthocyanidin from cranberries inhibits biofilm formation by C. albicans. The same anthocyanin from hibiscus has not yet been tested. Details of the study are published at
this
link.
Research on the extract continues, but there is still no consensus on the main active ingredient. More and more new species of bacteria and fungi are being included in research.
There are three methods for producing the extract - aqueous, methanol-based or ethanol-based. Each type has its own concentration of active substances, but the problem is that you are unlikely to find out which preparation option is in your capsules (I am only familiar with Aflazin, the instructions for which do not contain a method for obtaining the extract). At home, we have access to water extraction in the form of hibiscus tea and ethanol, similar to mint .
Whatever option you choose to use hibiscus, it will be an excellent help in the treatment of cystitis, and a possible alternative to drug treatment, judging by the results of “wet” studies, and not just statistical and traditional authoritative statements “it helps me!”))).
