| Summary: | Helicobacter pylori, a gram-negative bacterium, is recognized as the primary etiological agent for the development of gastritis, dyspepsia, peptic ulcer as well as gastric and colon cancer. In developing countries the incidence of H. pylori infection ranges from 50-100%. Two Thai plants, namely Boesenbergia rotunda (L.)Mansf. and Myristica fragrans Houtt., have been used to treat dyspepsia and peptic ulcer in Thai Traditional Medicine. Their crude extracts were previously reported to possess anti- H. pylori activity. This investigation proposed to test previously isolated bioactive compounds from B. rotunda and M. fragrans if they possessed anti- H. pylori activity. Primary cultures of H. pylori from local hospital patients in Thailand were used in the investigation. In vitro anti- H. pylori testing had been performed with pinostrobin and red oil from roots of B. rotunda, and dihydroguaiaretic acid from arils of M. fragrans. Clarithromycin (MIC 120 µg/mL) was used as a positive control. All three compounds showed positive clear zone in agar diffusion test at p<0.05 in all 10 clinical cultures. Pinostrobin, red oil and dihydroguaiaretic acid autoclaved in blood agar medium had MIC of 125, 150, 100 µg/mL and MBC of 150, 175, 125 µg/mL, respectively. All three compounds have their activities against H. pylori in the same range of that of drug currently used in the treatment of peptic ulcer. Thus, all three compounds from B. rotunda and M. fragrans show good potential for further drug development. This investigation demonstrates that food and spice plants used in Thai Traditional Medicine for treatment of dyspepsia and peptic ulcer contain compounds which inhibit the growth of H. pylori in vitro. The result suggests that ingredients of some Thai food in regular diet may contribute to the low incidence of gastric cancer in the Thai population by affecting the growth of H. pylori.
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