Medicinal Plants Fight Urinary Tract Infections

Highlights

• UTIs are one of the most common diseases in the World. Up to 150 million people worldwide experience UTIs each year.
• Since ancient times, herbal medicines and phytochemicals have been used for their powerful antibacterial properties against diseases including UTIs.
• Scientific studies suggest that many medicinal plants show significant antimicrobial activity against urinary pathogens such as E. coli.
• Plant-based remedies are an effective approach for preventing urinary tract infections (UTIs) in the long term.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most common health conditions, which are also among the hardest to treat due to their recurrent nature and frequent episodes, which are typically brought on by uropathogenic bacteria species such as E. coli and P. aeruginosa. Up to 150 million people worldwide experience UTI each year. Up to 50% of women are thought to get UTIs at least once in their lives, while rUTI is more common in young girls. In the treatment of recurrent UTI (rUTI), long-term antibiotic therapy is successful, but it also has drawbacks, such as the formation of pathogenic strains that are drug-resistant in the majority of cases. Analysis of the antibiotic resistance index indicates that the difficulty in treating these infections has increased since the mid-2000s. These limitations have increased interest in novel plant-based remedies to prevent and treat recurrent UTIs, particularly when combined with antibiotics and other natural antimicrobial molecules.

Phytotherapy, an alternative treatment based on plant extracts and oils, has been used for millennia to prevent or treat various illnesses, including UTIs and rUTI. Plant extracts pure natural compounds and offers antibacterial activities including anti-febrile, anti-inflammatory, and painkiller that can relieve various symptoms, and therefore can help lower negative antibiotic side effects. Plant-based complementary and alternative medicine has shown success as a practical approach in the treatment of urinary tract infections (UTIs) and recurrent UTIs (rUTIs), especially when used in conjunction with antibiotic prophylactic therapy.

Plant extracts can kill or stop the growth of harmful bacteria in different ways. One way is by directly attacking and killing the bacteria. Another way is by stopping the bacteria from sticking to certain cells or forming groups called biofilms. The plant extracts can also help the body’s natural defenses fight off harmful bacteria by boosting the immune system and antioxidant levels. As a result, using whole plant extracts is advised because of the physiologically active ingredients. These ingredients have various modes of action and synergistically operate together. Plant-based treatments are affordable, easily accessible, safe to use, have fewer side effects reported, and do not cause bacterial resistance. However, their mechanism of action still has poorly understood. Further research is needed to use plants to cure UTIs and rUTI Plant-based remedies are considered effective for the long-term prevention of urinary tract infections (UTIs).

The researchers hypothesized that natural glycosides and medicinal antioxidants should function as molecular spies to prevent pathogenic bacteria from adhering to host cells, preventing further disease. Berberine is one of the best-known natural molecules against UTIs and it is abundant in the roots of Mahonya (Mahonia aquifolium) and Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis L.). Berberine is an essential antibiotic that fights infections by inhibiting some bacteria from attaching to the host cell, implying its usefulness in treating UTI.

There is significant clinical evidence supporting the use of products containing berries and cranberries as preventive measures for recurrent UTIs (rUTIs). Cranberries contain specific molecules that exhibit actions against UTIs. Also, recent research has indicated that aqueous extracts from pomegranate peel have antibacterial and antioxidant effects against uropathogenic E. coli, a common bacteria associated with urinary tract infections.

While the mechanism of action of plant-based treatments still needs to be fully understood, further research is needed to use plants to cure UTIs and rUTIs.

References for further reading

Tache, A. M., Dinu, L. D., & Vamanu, E. (2022). Novel insights on plant extracts to prevent and treat recurrent urinary tract infections. Applied Sciences, 12(5), 2635.

Poulios, E., Vasios, G. K., Psara, E., & Giaginis, C. (2021). Medicinal plants consumption against urinary tract infections: a narrative review of the current evidence. Expert Review of Anti-infective Therapy, 19(4), 519–528.

Sihra, N.; Goodman, A.; Zakri, R.; Sahai, A.; Malde, S. (2018). Nonantibiotic prevention, and management of recurrent urinary tract infection. Nat. Rev. Urol, 15, 750–776.

Murray, B.O.; Flores, C.; Williams, C.; Flusberg, D.A.; Marr, E.E.; Kwiatkowska, K.M.; Charest, J.L.; Isenberg, B.C.; Rohn, J.L. (2021). Recurrent Urinary Tract Infection: A Mystery in Search of Better Model Systems. Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol, 11, 691210.

Silverman, J.A.; Schreiber, H.L.; Hooton, T.M.; Hultgren, S.J. (2013). From Physiology to Pharmacy: Developments in the Pathogenesis and Treatment of Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections. Curr. Urol. Rep, 14, 448–456.

Lewis, A.J.; Richards, A.C.; Mulvey, M.A. (2016). Invasion of Host Cells and Tissues by Uropathogenic Bacteria. Microbiol. Spectr, 4, 359–381.

Pereira, R. S., Sumita, T. C., Furlan, M. R., Jorge, A. O. C., & Ueno, M. (2004). Antibacterial activity of essential oils on microorganisms isolated from urinary tract infection. Revista de Saude Publica, 38, 326–328.

Zam, W., & Khaddour, A. (2017). Anti-virulence effects of aqueous pomegranate peel extract on E. coli urinary tract infection. Progr. Nutr, 19, 98–104.

Deng, H.; Zhu, J.; Tong, Y.; Kong, Y.; Tan, C.; Wang, M.; Wan, M.; Meng, X. (2021). Antibacterial characteristics and mechanisms of action of Aronia melanocarpa anthocyanins against Escherichia coli. LWT, 150, 112018.

Das, S. (2020). Natural therapeutics for urinary tract infections — a review. Future Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 6, 1–13.