Contribution of Symptomatic, Herbal Treatment Options to Antibiotic Stewardship and Microbiotic Health. Antibiotics

Abstract

The inappropriate use of antibiotics (e.g., for viral infection) can be harmful to the patients, as antibiotics influence and disturb the microbiota which can have a negative long-lasting impact on patient’s health. The rational use of antibiotics is particularly important for the treatment of children, as the effects on their microbiota may contribute to the onset of diseases later in life. Therapeutic options with a more favorable safety profile vs that of antibiotics are of paramount importance, especially in the pediatric field. Herbal drugs containing substances with antiviral, antibacterial or anti-inflammatory activity offer a promising and effective treatment option for common and uncomplicated infections. Treatment with herbal drugs does not affect the gut microbiota as demonstrated by the findings of the preclinical trials discussed in this review. Herbal drugs based on medicinal plants or their extracts generally exhibit a positive benefit-risk ratio  and are a viable treatment alternative for uncomplicated infections. Keywords: gut microbiota, children, respiratory infections, urinary tract infections, medicinal plants, herbal extracts, antibiotics. For citation: Contribution of Symptomatic, Herbal Treatment Options to Antibiotic Stewardship and Microbiotic Health. Antibiotics. Russian Journal of Woman and Child Health. 2022;5(4):351–357 (in Russ.).