Published online Jul 21, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i27.8971
Revised: January 20, 2014
Accepted: April 1, 2014
Published online: July 21, 2014
Processing time: 297 Days and 5.5 Hours
The bacterial pathogen Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) colonizes in over half of the world’s population. H. pylori that establishes life-long infection in the stomach is definitely associated with gastro-duodenal diseases and a wide variety of non-gastrointestinal tract conditions such as immune thrombocytopenia. Triple therapy which consists of a proton pump inhibitor and combinations of two antibiotics (amoxicillin, clarithromycin or amoxicillin, metronidazol) is commonly used for H. pylori eradication. Recently, the occurrence of drug-resistant H. pylori and the adverse effect of antibiotics have severely weakened eradication therapy. Generally antibiotics induce the disturbance of human gastrointestinal microflora. Furthermore, there are inappropriate cases of triple therapy such as allergy to antibiotics, severe complications (liver and/or kidney dysfunction), the aged and people who reject the triple therapy. These prompt us to seek alterative agents instead of antibiotics and to develop more effective and safe therapy with these agents. The combination of these agents actually may result in lower a dose of antibiotics. There are many reports world-wide that non-antibiotic substances from natural products potentially have an anti-H. pylori agent. We briefly review the constituents derived from nature that fight against H. pylori in the literature with our studies.
Core tip: The present review summarized the natural products and food components with anti-Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) activities in the literatures and showed the possibility for its application on human health. There are many promising in vitro effects on H. pylori and other infections (infectious diseases). Next, further in vivo evidence is required. There are many guidelines for H. pylori treatment which are not always the same among countries. Thus, we should address the evaluation of in vivo effects using such components in clinical investigation to make an adequate guideline useful for all countries for the application on H. pylori treatment.