Antimicrobial Effects of Aqueous and Hydro-Alcoholic Plantago psyllium leaf extracts on the Experimental Infection of Helicobacter pylori in a Rat Model

 Plantago psyllium has long been utilised as a medicinal agent worldwide. The current study aims to evaluate the in vivo antimicrobial effects of aqueous P. psyllium and a hydro-alcoholic extract of P. psyllium on Helicobacter pylori as well as the effects of these extracts on liver and kidney in a rat model.

A total number of 50 female Sprague Dawley rats were experimentally infected (Except for the negative control group). The rats were divided into five groups of 10. The groups were treated by Aqueous and Hydro-Alcoholic P. psyllium leaf extracts. Subsequently, H. pylori antigens which were present in the in rats’ stool were measured using a serological assay. To diagnose the pathogenicity of the kidney and liver, blood samples which had been taken before and after treatment, were tested for renal and hepatic enzymes by Analyzer Electrolyte and Sysmex KX-21N.

Following the amoxicillin treatment, the levels of aqueous and hydro-alcoholic extracts of the treated rats were compared with those of the control group, and a significant difference was observed (P<0.05). Antigen decrease was observed in all of the groups treated with amoxicillin (P=0.0004), aqueous, and hydro-alcoholic extracts (P<0.05). Antigen decrease in the stool was observed in all groups, which indicates that treatment with the herbal extract could affect the infected rats.

 P. psyllium hydro-alcoholic extract can be applied as a selective treatment for H. pylori infection. Hopefully, experiments suggested that the mentioned extracts could positively affect the process of disease recovery.