Document Type
Oral Presentation
Location
Oxford Conference Center, Oxford MS
Event Website
https://oxfordicsb.org/
Start Date
10-4-2025 8:30 AM
Description
Despite intensive research, the active principles and mechanisms of action of many herbal drugs are still not clear. Moreover, the bioavailability of many polar plant constituents is rather limited, why they are not likely to act systemically. Therefore, alternative approaches to explain their activity have to be considered. Gut microbiota and the human body form a symbiosis which is essential for our health and well-being. Dysbiosis can lead to various diseases, like inflammation, obesity, asthma, diabetes, and even cancer. Therefore, gut microbiota are a relevant target for herbal drugs, and may help to understand their effects. For example, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii has been identified as a major actor of human intestinal health [1], the mucin-degrading bacterium Akkermansia muciniphila has been linked to obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D) [2], and Fusobacterium sp. have been identified as potential causative agents in colorectal carcinomas [3]. On the other side, gut microbiota are very relevant for the metabolism of plant constituents. In order to study the interaction of medicinal plant extracts with gut microbiota, we have established a research platform, which allows on the one side to analyze metabolization of plant constituents by LC-HRMS, and on the other side microbiome shifts by 16S RNA sequencing [4]. Several examples will be presented including the interaction of plants used for mental health which interfere with the microbiome-gut-brain axis [5]. References (1) Leylabadlo HE, Ghotaslou R, Feizabadi MM, Farajnia S, Moaddab SY, Ganbarov K, Khodadadi E, Tanomand A, Sheykhsaran E, Yousefi B, Kafil HS. Microb Pathog.2020, 149: 104344 (2) Corb Aron RA, Abid A, Vesa CM, Nechifor AC, Behl T, Ghitea TC, Munteanu MA, Fratila O, Andronie-Cioara FL, Toma MM, Bungau S. Microorganisms 2021, 9(3): 618. (3) Datorre JG, de Carvalho AC, Guimarães DP, Reis RM. Pathobiology 2021, 88(2): 127-140. (4) Pferschy-Wenzig EM, Koskinen K, Moissl-Eichinger C, Bauer R. Front Pharmacol. 2017, 8:893. (5) Pferschy-Wenzig, E.-M.; Pausan, M.R.; Ardjomand-Woelkart, K.; Röck, S.; Ammar, R.M.; Kelber, O.; Moissl-Eichinger, C.; Bauer, R. Nutrients 2022, 14, 2111.
Recommended Citation
Bauer, Rudolf, "The relevance of gut microbiota for the activity of herbal drugs" (2025). Oxford ICSB. 35.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/icsb/2025_ICSB/Schedule/35
Publication Date
April 2025
Accessibility Status
Searchable text
Included in
The relevance of gut microbiota for the activity of herbal drugs
Oxford Conference Center, Oxford MS
Despite intensive research, the active principles and mechanisms of action of many herbal drugs are still not clear. Moreover, the bioavailability of many polar plant constituents is rather limited, why they are not likely to act systemically. Therefore, alternative approaches to explain their activity have to be considered. Gut microbiota and the human body form a symbiosis which is essential for our health and well-being. Dysbiosis can lead to various diseases, like inflammation, obesity, asthma, diabetes, and even cancer. Therefore, gut microbiota are a relevant target for herbal drugs, and may help to understand their effects. For example, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii has been identified as a major actor of human intestinal health [1], the mucin-degrading bacterium Akkermansia muciniphila has been linked to obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D) [2], and Fusobacterium sp. have been identified as potential causative agents in colorectal carcinomas [3]. On the other side, gut microbiota are very relevant for the metabolism of plant constituents. In order to study the interaction of medicinal plant extracts with gut microbiota, we have established a research platform, which allows on the one side to analyze metabolization of plant constituents by LC-HRMS, and on the other side microbiome shifts by 16S RNA sequencing [4]. Several examples will be presented including the interaction of plants used for mental health which interfere with the microbiome-gut-brain axis [5]. References (1) Leylabadlo HE, Ghotaslou R, Feizabadi MM, Farajnia S, Moaddab SY, Ganbarov K, Khodadadi E, Tanomand A, Sheykhsaran E, Yousefi B, Kafil HS. Microb Pathog.2020, 149: 104344 (2) Corb Aron RA, Abid A, Vesa CM, Nechifor AC, Behl T, Ghitea TC, Munteanu MA, Fratila O, Andronie-Cioara FL, Toma MM, Bungau S. Microorganisms 2021, 9(3): 618. (3) Datorre JG, de Carvalho AC, Guimarães DP, Reis RM. Pathobiology 2021, 88(2): 127-140. (4) Pferschy-Wenzig EM, Koskinen K, Moissl-Eichinger C, Bauer R. Front Pharmacol. 2017, 8:893. (5) Pferschy-Wenzig, E.-M.; Pausan, M.R.; Ardjomand-Woelkart, K.; Röck, S.; Ammar, R.M.; Kelber, O.; Moissl-Eichinger, C.; Bauer, R. Nutrients 2022, 14, 2111.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/icsb/2025_ICSB/Schedule/35