Do compounds of natural origin support the treatment of urinary tract infections?

Urinary tract infections are a widespread disease affecting the majority of the world's population, caused mainly by E. coli infections. In the past, one of the main treatments for urinary tract infections was the use of plant extracts. With the onset of the era of antibiotics, plant raw materials were forced out of use in favor of more effective antimicrobial drugs with more adverse effects. Due to spreading drug resistance of microorganisms, alternative methods of preventing and treating infections are currently being sought. One such approach is to revert to naturally derived substances to treat mild urinary tract infections.

Raw materials such as meadowsweet flower, orthosiphon leaf, seaweed herb, goldenrod herb, knotweed herb, horsetail herb, birch leaf, bearberry leaf or lingonberry leaf are traditionally used herbal remedies to treat inflammation and infections of the urinary tract. While it is known that the last two are highly effective when used by patients, the effect of other herbal substances is not fully documented. In addition, even in the case of bilberry and bearberry leaves, the exact mechanism of these raw materials' effect is not fully known. In recent years, more and more attention has been paid to the role of the intestinal microbiota in the process of metabolism of substances ingested through the alimentary tract. It is known from other studies that bacteria of the intestinal flora metabolize compounds of natural origin into simpler substances that are well absorbed into the bloodstream and have specific effects. Additionally, some intestinal metabolites have been shown to be present when absorbed into the bloodstream ultimately converted to glucuronides or sulphates through phase II metabolism and ultimately excreted in the urine. These compounds may affect the pathological processes in the human urinary tract. In this project, we plan to comprehensively investigate the chemical composition of water extracts prepared from selected plant materials traditionally used in diseases of the urinary tract. Next, we will determine the intestinal metabolism of the compounds contained in these extracts. We will also conduct biological tests involving
evaluation of the antibacterial, anti-adhesive and anti-inflammatory activity of the selected extracts of their ingredients and compounds that are their intestinal metabolites. Ultimately, we will try to verify the hypothesis whether the metabolites of substances present in the tested extracts are excreted in the urine and can reduce inflammation at this point
and kill the bacteria causing infection.