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JAC Advance Access published online on July 29, 2003
Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, doi:10.1093/jac/dkg366
© 2003 by The British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy
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© 2003 The British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy

Brief report

Mastic gum has no effect on Helicobacter pylori load in vivo

James R. Bebb 1 , Nathalie Bailey-Flitter 2 , Dlawer Ala'Aldeen 3 , and John C. Atherton 1 *

1 Division of Gastroenterology and Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University Hospital, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK
2 Division of Gastroenterology, University Hospital, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK
3 Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation and Department of Microbiology, University Hospital, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK

* Corresponding author. E-mail: john.atherton{at}nottingham.ac.uk.

Received 11 April 2003 ; revised 9 June 2003 ; accepted 12 June 2003

Abstract

Objective: To determine whether mastic gum suppresses or eradicates Helicobacter pylori infection in humans.

Patients and methods: Nine patients with H. pylori infection, and without gastroduodenal ulceration, were recruited from day-case endoscopy lists and treated with mastic 1 g four times daily for 14 days. [13C]Urea breath tests (UBTs) were carried out immediately before, on day 15 and 5 weeks after treatment with mastic.

Results: Mastic had no effect on H. pylori status in any of the eight completed patients; all remained H. pylori positive by UBT with no change in {delta} scores [pre-treatment mean ± S.E.M. 19.1 ± 3.7, day 15 (post-treatment) 18.7 ± 3.8, P = 0.8, paired t-test].

Conclusion: Despite reported anti-H. pylori action in vitro, this preliminary study shows that mastic has no effect on H. pylori in humans.

Keywords: peptic ulcers, natural treatments, dyspepsia
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