The effects of herbal teas and supplements on the human microbiota and metabolism

Okeyoyin, Oluwadamilola Racheal; Adukwu, Emmanuel; Gould, Oliver

Abstract

Background: For centuries, herbal teas have been consumed by people of all ages and has been used for therapy in different civilisations and medical systems such as the Chinese, Indian, indigenous, and African. The aphorism- ‘Nature is the best chemist’ has a long historical pedigree and it is believed that bioactive compounds contained in herbal teas have a wide range of biological effects. Research shows that herbal teas can contribute to health via the microbial flora which is found majorly in the gut and oral cavity. However, the mechanisms by which they contribute to health and wellness is not well established.

Aim and Objectives: The aim of this research is to determine what effects components of herbal teas have on oral and gut bacterial species and the mechanism by which they exert such functions. The objectives are to determine the volatile phytochemical composition of the selected herbal teas and determine the susceptibility of the bacterial species against the selected herbal teas.

Methodology: The herbal blends investigated include mint tea, fennel tea, ginger tea and lemongrass and ginger tea. The bacterial species investigated include Streptococcus mutans strain (NCTC 10449), Streptococcus pyogenes strain (NCTC 8198), Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) SMH 22115– Hospital-acquired, Methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA; ATCC 6358) and Escherichia coli strain (ATCC 25922). Head Space Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (HS-GC-MS) was used to determine the phytochemical composition of the steam of the herbal brews and the antimicrobial effects of the herbal teas on the bacterial species were determined using agar dilution and disk diffusion assays.

Results: The herbal tea vapours have extensive volatile phytochemical profiles with some key Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s) identified. Furthermore, the herbal teas showed some antimicrobial activity on the bacterial species explored.

Conclusion: The results show that herbal teas do have inhibitory effects on the growth of certain bacterial species however, further research is required to determine the mechanism by which they exert these functions and how to determine their antimicrobial activity over time.

• Presentation Conference Type: Poster
• Conference Name: Pukka Herbs- Lipton Tea and Infusions Science Event,
• Start Date: Apr 18, 2023
• Deposit Date: Mar 8, 2024
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/11769028