Rosaceae plant extracts found to neutralize cholera toxin

Polish researchers investigated the ability of five medicinal plants from the Rosaceae family to neutralize the cholera toxin. Their findings were published in the journal BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

• Cholera is one of the deadliest diarrheal diseases that require new treatments.
• Agrimonia eupatoria (common agrimony), Fragaria vesca (wild strawberry), Rubus fruticosus (blackberry), R. idaeus (raspberry) and Rosa canina (rose) are plants from the rose family that have been used for centuries in Poland as natural medicines for diarrhea.
• The researchers prepared hot water extracts from the five plants and analyzed their phytochemical composition, as well as their antimicrobial activities.
• They also assessed the ability of each extract to neutralize the cholera toxin by measuring cAMP levels in cell cultures and by using ELISA, electrophoresis, flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy.
• The researchers reported that the plant extracts exhibited modest potentials to stop bacterial cells from reproducing.
• The extracts also modulated the effects of the cholera toxin on intracellular cAMP levels.
• Three of the plant extracts, namely, common agrimony, blackberry and wild strawberry suppressed the binding of subunit B of the cholera toxin to the surface of cells and immobilized ganglioside GM1.
• Meanwhile, raspberry and rose interfered with the toxin internalization process.

Based on these findings, the researchers concluded that infusions made with Rosaceae plants can treat cholera by slowing the growth of the cholera bacterium, inhibiting the binding of the cholera toxin to receptors and preventing the internalization of cholera toxin by cells.

Read the full study at this link.

Journal Reference:

Komiazyk M, Palczewska M, Sitkiewicz I, Pikula S, Groves P. NEUTRALIZATION OF CHOLERA TOXIN BY ROSACEAE FAMILY PLANT EXTRACTS. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 20 June 2019;19(1). DOI: 10.1186/s12906-019-2540-6