Antimicrobial Characterization of Inula britannica against Helicobacter pylori on Gastric Condition

The antimicrobial effects of methanol and ethanol extracts of Inula britannica against several Helicobacter pylori strains (26695, J99, and SS1) were evaluated in vitro, to determine their applicability as functional foods. In the paper disc diffusion method, the antimicrobial effects of the I. britannica extracts against the H. pylori strains were apparent. Viable cell counting also showed that the extracts at 100 μg/ml concentration dramatically decreased the viability of the H. pylori strains. In particular, the methanol and ethanol extracts at a concentration of 100 μg/ml reduced the H. pylori SS1 cell number to 2.46 log CFU/ml and 1.08 log CFU/ml, respectively. In the presence of 100 μg/ml extracts, the urease production of H. pylori SS1 was decreased to more than 30%, whereas that of H. pylori J99 and H. pylori 26695 was decreased to about 20%, relative to the controls. The extracts inhibited the attachment of the H. pylori strains to human gastric AGS cells as well as caused the detachment of already attached H. pylori cells. In addition, the H. pylori morphology was changed to a coccoidal shape in the presence of the extracts. In conclusion, the I. britannica extracts were effective against H. pylori strains in vitro, irrespective of genotype status, and could therefore be used as novel functional foods.