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Are herbal medicines useful against MRSA?

Yes, but let me tell you how. MRSA (hp://www.cdc.gov/mrsa/)(Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus

Aureus) is a bacterial infection that is highly resistant to some antibiotics. Staph infections causeredness, inflammation, tenderness, sometimes oozing pus, possible skin abscess, and fever. MRSA hasappeared oen in the news recently because of a significant increase in the numbers ofMRSA infections. Because severe MRSA infections can even lead to death, its very important to takeMRSA infections seriously and to use whatever antibiotics are available. That said, stubbornMRSA infections may need the addition of helpful herbs to do several things: 1) potentiate (increasethe efficacy of) the conventional antibiotics, 2) concurrently fight infection by immune systemstimulation or antibiotic action, and 3) preventing the formation of biofilms.

In a nutshell, all organisms have ways of eliminating toxins. For bacteria and cancer cells, cellular

efflux pumps help reduce cellular concentrations of antibiotics, chemotherapeutic agents, orenvironmental poisons. Some efflux pumps are known as multiple drug resistant (MDR) pumps, whichreduce cellular concentrations of the very medicines we use to fight them (by way of chemo orantibiotics), and thus reduce their efficacy. Bacteria can learn resistance, which can be passed downto later generations, and resistant bacteria include MRSA, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium,and others. (Thank you, David Winston (hp://www.herbaltherapeutics.net/)). In recent history, mostMRSA infections have been transmied via healthcare seings, but recently this trend appears to bechanging. For one thing, the prophylactic and over-use of antibiotics contributes to the development ofmulti-drug resistant bacterial strains, as does the common practice of patients not completing a fullcycle of antibiotics, allowing bacteria the ability to mutate, change, and become resistant to many

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conventional antibiotics.

Earlier I referred to biofilms. Biofilms are another survival strategy that help some (Persister) bacteriasurvive toxic medications. In this case, the resistance traits are not passed on to further generations, butpersisters create bacterial colonies that produce biofilms, or slimy films that form a protective barrieragainst toxins. A few studies have demonstrated that some herbs, such as catnip, have the ability tobreak down biofilms, thus allowing the antibiotics to work beer against the infection.

Honey (hp://lilithsapothecary.wordpress.com/2009/08/12/natural-remedies-tip-2-honey-mask-for-oily-blemished-skin/) and clay (hp://lilithsapothecary.wordpress.com/2009/08/05/natural-remedies-tip-1-heal-skin-rash-with-clay/), as mentioned in earlier posts, have a long history of topical use for skininfections. French green clay has been shown to have specific activity against MRSA (Williams 2007),and Manuka honey from New Zealand has been found to be an effective topical remedy for MRSA(AP, 2007).

There are many herbs that can be used against MRSA, and I have chosen a selection of those herbs forthis post. If you have questions about where to find extracts or how to create a formula, please let meknow! As for the herbal remedies, it is important to note that some herbs A) inhibit the MDR pumps,

discussed above, some B) inhibit or kill MRSA and other antibiotic resistant bacteria, and some C)enhance antibiotic activity in one way or another. It would be wise, therefore, to create a formuladrawing from these three different groups, so as to best supplement conventional antibiotics. Even beerwould be to consult with a trained herbalist who can take into consideration the full spectrum of yourhealth, potential for drug interactions or contraindications, depending on what pharmaceutical drugsyou may be on or additional health conditions you may have. One can additionally create topical salveswith antibiotic, vulnerary herbs and essential oils to further treat a skin infection, and these generallyhave no containdications except for allergic reactions (albeit rarely).

Category A: herbs that appear to inhibit MDR pumps

Barberry Root & leaf (berberis spp.), Coptis Root (coptis chinensis), Goldenseal Root(hydrastis canadensis), and Oregon Grape Root (mahonia aquifolium,M. repens) ~ berberine containingherbs can work together with berberine extract to both reduce biofilms, inhibit MRSA, and inhibitMDR pumps. It does appear that a standardized berberine extract should be used along with alcoholextract of the whole herb, and both are less effective when used alone. (Stermitz, et al, 2000)

Thyme (thymus vulgaris): baicalein (also see Baical scullcap, below), a flavone found in the leaves of thisherb, is believed to inhibit several different MDR pumps as well as possibly damage the integrity ofbacterial cell walls. When used with antibiotics, this flavonoid increased the efficacy of the drugsneeded to kill MRSA (Stavri et al 2007). Thymes essential oils are also considered antibiotic, and

thymol, in particular, is a well-known disinfectant, antibacterial, antibiotic, and antiviral agent thatmakes thyme oil a wonderful addition to topical salves used to treat MRSA.

Garlic bulb (allium sativum) ~ ah yes, beloved garlic; creates inhibitory synergy with antibiotics; effective(in-vitro) for many resistant bacterial infections. (Abascal & Yarnell, 2002)

Category B: Inhibit or kill MRSA and other resistant bacteria

Andrographis (Andrographis paniculata): in vitro research indicates that water extracts(infusion/decoction) have significant inhibitory activity towards MRSA. Traditionally used in Chinese


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(hp://lilithsapothecary.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/garlic.jpg)Garlic

and Ayurvedic medical systems for treating viral and bacterial infections, this herb has a long trackrecord of use against flus and bacterial infections.

Catnip (nepata cataria): this common mint inhibited MRSA and reduced bacterial adherence byhelping prevent the formation of biofilm in studies (Nostro, A. et al 2001)

Elecampane root (inula helenium): in vitro studies indicate that elecampane strongly inhibits over 300strains of S. aureus, including MRSA (OShea 2007). I learn from David Winston, master herbalist, thatthe eclectics (nineteenth century Western herbalists) used Inula to treat tuberculosis, along withEchinacea, and it has been effective in treating antibiotic resistant pneumonia and viral or bacterialbronchitis.

Holy Basil/ Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum): an aromatic adaptogen that has shown signficant in-vitroinhibitatory activity against three strains of MRSA (Aqil, et al, 2005). Long used in Ayurvedic medicinefor its antibacterial essential oils to treat bacterial and viral diseases. Microbial endocrinology also


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(hp://lilithsapothecary.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/skullcap.jpg)Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora)

shows us that reducing cortisol (stress hormone) levels can also help prevent and resolve illness, aswell. Tulsi is an amazing herb that will be highlighted in an upcoming post my readers simply have toknow more about this herb!

St. Johns Wort (hypericum perforatum): long noted for its antidepressant effects, SJWs powerfulantibacterial activity is oen overlooked. The alcohol extract of fresh flowering tops can be usedinternally to treat viral and bacterial conditions, and in this case, has shown activity against

MRSA (Abascal & Yarnell 2002). Additionally, an infused oil is used topically for painful infections andnerve pain.

Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) essential oil: this powerful essential oil, used to treat all manner of skinconditions, has also shown to inhibit MRSA (LaPlante 2007) and was superior to chlorhexidine or silversulfadiazine at clearing topical MRSA infections (Dryden et al 2004). Tea tree is already widely used fortreating topical infections, burns, boils, etc, and makes a fabulous addition to handmade medicinalsalves.

Category C:Enhance

activity ofconventionalantibioticmedicines

Baical Scullcap/Huang Qin

root (scutellaria baicalensis) or other scutellaria species, including S. lateriflora and S.alericulata: appears to assist antibiotics in their efficacy by enhancing bacteriocidal activity. This herb is

commonly used in Chinese medicine for damp/heat infections such as infectious hepatitis, dysentery,tonsilitis, and bacterial infections with high fevers, and thus has a long use (Huang Qin) of use againstsuch infectious conditions. Studies have shown it improves activity of 4 different antibiotics against 4different strains of MRSA (Yang et al, 2005)

Sage (Salvia officinalis): sage extracts strongly potentiate gentamicin and other aminoglycosides intreating resistant strains (Horluchi et al 2007). Sage tea is effective for treating sore throats and is usedfor gastric ulcers.

Turmeric root (curcuma longa): extracts of turmeric have demonstrated ability to decreaseMRSA effectiveness, acts as an antibacterial agent, and enhanced the effectiveness ofbeta-lactam antibiotics against MRSA (Kim et al 2005). Curcumin extracted from Turmeric stronglyinhibits virulence factors, including biofilm production (Rudrappa & Bais 2008). Turmeric is used inAyurvedic medicine for treating gastric conditions, infectious hepatitis, and topically for infectedlacerations. Turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory and quite possibly one of the top 25 herbs that noherbalist should be without. Because I live in an urban environment and cant grow my own, I havefresh turmeric shipped to me from an organic farm in Oregon, Pacific Botanicals(hp://www.pacificbotanicals.com), so I can make my own alcohol tinctured extracts.


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Uva Ursi (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) : corilagin, a polyphenol isolated from uva ursi, has had significantability to enhance antibiotics by reducing the MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration) ofbeta-lactam antibiotics needed to treat MRSA (Shiota et al 2004). This is a herb frequently used forurinary tract issues and should not be taken continuously for long-term use, but is perfectly safe whentaken in 2 week intervals.

Keep in mind that the above represents just a few choice herbs and that a larger range of herbs have

been studied for effectiveness against drug resistant bacterium. These herbs, however, are readilyavailable and commonly used for similar conditions, so they should be easy to find. A reputablesource, and my first choice, for alcohol extracts is Herbalist & Alchemist (hp://www.herbalist-alchemist.com) ( www.herbalist-alchemist.com (hp://www.herbalist-alchemist.com)), the companyconnected to herbalist David Winston (hp://www.herbaltherapeutics.net/), from whom I learnedabout most of these important studies.

References (full refs available upon request):AP, 2007Abascal & Yarnell, 2002Dryden et al 2004

Horluchi et al 2007Kim et al 2005LaPlante 2007Nostro, A. et al 2001OShea 2007Shiota et al 2004Stermitz, et al 2000Stavri et al 2007Williams, 2007Yang, et al 2005

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This entry was posted on Sunday, December 6th, 2009 at 4:04 am and is filed under H E R B S, R E S EA R C H. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave aresponse, or trackback from your own site.


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5 Responses to Are herbal medicines useful against MRSA?

Sarah O. says:December 7, 2009 at 3:22 am

Thank you so much! The subject of MRSA has come up so much lately. It is so helpful to have thisinformation to reference.

Replymarcus simonds says:May 11, 2010 at 8:15 amHi Lilith

Im very very interested in herbal remedies for mrsa, having suffered from it for over 25 years.

It was fantastic to read your article on the various herbs which ca be used to combat the bacteria. I

was astounded!!!!, being quite familiar with homegrown herbal research. Many many thanx!!!!

I would like to develop my own tincture, using a formula with barberry, catnip, curcuminelecampane, thyme, and the chinese herb, also tulsi, and st johns wort.

Any ideas on a tincture formula, perhaps using gin as a base??? Perhaps its best to make up 2formulas, sicne there are quite a few herbs you mentioned. I was not familiar with the chinese one,but knew of the others.

Sincerely

Marcus Simonds, North Fremantle, Western Australia

Replylilithsapothecary says:May 12, 2010 at 2:56 amMarcus,Hi there! Theres actually even more that I couldnt include there are lots and lots oremedies! I would say that the best thing is to make individual tinctures with each herb and thencombine them in a formula once theyve steeped for 6 weeks. Formula making is a complicatedtask, in certain respects, because its helpful to take into consideration any other issues you

might be having, including any potential drug interactions if you are any pharma. medicinesright now. You also dont need to take ALL the herbs listed, but rather the BEST herbs for yourown situation, though sometimes we are limited to what we actually have access to. Consultingwith an herbalist would be the recommended thing, though there are also many naturopathstrained to use herbs too. Do you have any local resources of this kind? That said, using herbs likebarberry or goldenseal, catnip, elecampane, thyme, tulsi, and SJW are prey straight forwardSJW, however, can certainly interact with some anti-depressants and potentiate others. Thereslots of research availabe on SJW. FYI: David Winston has a great short reference guide that canprovide alot of this pertinent info. hp://www.herbalist-alchemist.com/shop/?shop=1&itemid=1192 David is one of the founders of the American Herbalists Guild and has been a


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clinical herbalist for over 30 years now. Its definitely a good idea to get a reference or two thatyou can refer to as you proceed with the use of herbs. That said, good for you for starting downthis road! There are so many benefits from the world around us.

Here are some resources on making your own folk method tinctures, which is the easiest way,from very well respected herbalists here in the States:hp://www.susunweed.com/herbal_ezine/May04/healingwise.htm

hp://www.sagemountain.com/the-formulary/making-tinctures.htmlVodka is the usual choice but if you are using any FRESH herbs, I highly recommend using 95%grain alcohol as the water content in the plants will bring the level to about 50%, or the usuallevel. In any case you must use *at least* 100proof (50%) vodka or brandy for the fresh herbtinctures. With dry herbs, you should still use 100 proof if you can, but you can get away with 80proof.Thanks for your kind note!Best,Sarah

Reply

Brian says:February 21, 2011 at 6:42 amRe: full refs available upon request. Yes, please. Thank you!

ReplyThe answers to all sorts of problems says:July 8, 2012 at 6:41 pm[...] MRSA (the hospital bug which has everyone so freaked out, take a look at this

Lilithsapothecary hp://lilithsapothecary.wordpress.com/2009/12/06/are-herbal-medicines-useful-against-mrsa/ Includes turmeric, thyme and garlic. As I indicated before, we should actually be

eating other [...]

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