BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine (Dec 2018)

Dietary geraniol ameliorates intestinal dysbiosis and relieves symptoms in irritable bowel syndrome patients: a pilot study

  • Fernando Rizzello,
  • Chiara Ricci,
  • Michela Scandella,
  • Elena Cavazza,
  • Elisabetta Giovanardi,
  • Maria Chiara Valerii,
  • Massimo Campieri,
  • Antonietta Comparone,
  • Luigia De Fazio,
  • Marco Candela,
  • Silvia Turroni,
  • Enzo Spisni

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-018-2403-6
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 18, no. 1
pp. 1 – 11

Abstract

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Abstract Background (Trans)-3,7-Dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-ol, commonly called geraniol (Ge-OH), is an acyclic monoterpene alcohol with well-known anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. Ge-OH is a non-toxic compound classified as Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) by the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Food Security Agency. Methods Ge-OH was orally administered at a maximum daily dose of 8 mg kg(− 1) body weight for four weeks in a delayed release formulation capable of reaching the colon. Fecal microbiota and blood cytokines were analyzed before and after Ge-OH treatment, as well as IBS symptomatology by using Visual Analogue Scale (VAS-IBS). Results The results show that orally administered Ge-OH is a powerful modulator of the intestinal microbial ecosystem, capable of leading to increased relative abundances of Collinsella and especially Faecalibacterium, a well-known health-promoting butyrate producer consistently found to be decreased in IBS patients. Moreover, Ge-OH strongly improved the clinical symptoms of colitis by significantly reducing the score recorded by the VAS-IBS questionnaire. Clinical improvement was associated with a significant reduction in the circulating MIP-1β, a chemokine found to be increased in several IBS patients. Conclusion Ge-OH could be a powerful component for food supplement targeted to the treatment of IBS patients. Trial registration ISRCTN47041881, retrospectively registered on 19th July 2018.

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