This article contains findings obtained from research on animals:
- The results from animal research studies should not be directly applied to humans and the results may not generalise to the human population.
- There may be significant differences between species in terms of physiology, physiology, and pharmacology, as well as differences in the way diseases and treatments are modelled in animals.
- Any conclusions drawn from animal research should be considered with caution and in the context of other types of research studies such as observational studies, clinical trials, and reviews of the literature.
Insights & Discussion
Strictinin, the major phenolic compound in Pu'er teas, shows potential as a natural antibiotic and laxative but has greater inhibitory concentrations than some commercial antibiotics.
The study isolated strictinin from the young leaves and buds of wild Pu'er tea trees to evaluate its antibacterial and laxative properties. Its minimum inhibitory concentrations against two types of bacteria (Propionibacterium acnes and Staphylococcus epidermidis) were measured and compared to typical antibiotics. The study also tested the effects of combining strictinin with commercial antibiotics. Moreover, rat feeding tests were conducted to observe laxative effects.
The results showed that strictinin does have antibacterial properties albeit requiring higher concentrations compared to some conventional antibiotics. Its use in tandem with other antibiotics demonstrated additive and synergistic effects in inhibiting bacterial activity. Additionally, a laxative effect was confirmed in rats, which was likely caused by increased small intestine transit but not diarrhea or increased food intake. This suggests strictinin could be one potential ingredient in Pu'er tea responsible for antiviral, antibacterial, and laxative effects.
Discover Related Insights
Fruits, especially kiwifruits, and rye bread can enhance bowel movements and help manage chronic constipation better than conventional dietary methods.
2023 Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics Systematic review and meta‐analysis: Foods, drinks and diets and their effect on chronic constipation in adults Van Der Schoot A, Katsirma Z, Whelan K, Dimidi E
Review Article Constipation Fruits Kiwifruit
An exhaustive analysis was conducted incorporating a multitude of studies, including randomized controlled trials and uncontrolled trials, identified through electronic databases till 12th July 2023. The effect of various foods, drinks, and diets on characteristics such as stool output, gut transit time, symptoms, quality of life, adverse events, and compliance in adults with chronic constipation was inspected. The study also examined the response to different treatments and included a variety of foods such as kiwifruit, high-mineral water, prunes, rye bread, mango, fig, cereal, oat bran, yoghurt, water supplementation, prune juice, and high-fibre or no-fibre diets.
The synthesized data revealed that the consumption of fruits, particularly kiwifruits, and rye bread led to a higher stool frequency when compared to standard treatments like psyllium or white bread. High-mineral water also proved more effective regarding response to treatment than low-mineral water. On the other hand, no distinctive difference was identified for prunes when set against psyllium as a treatment option. Overall, the study insightfully suggests dietary modifications as a means to manage chronic constipation, emphasizing the potential of fruits such as kiwifruits and rye bread.
Gold kiwifruit extracts contained different bioactive materials which showed selective cytotoxic activity against human oral tumor cells and displayed anti-HIV, antioxidant, and antibacterial activities.
2023 Journal of Ethnopharmacology Cancer prevention and therapy with kiwifruit in Chinese folklore medicine: a study of kiwifruit extracts Motohashi N, Shirataki Y, Kawase M, Tani S, Sakagami H, Satoh K, et al.
Network Pharmacology Antibacterial Antioxidant Kiwifruit
The methodology involved stepwise extraction of gold kiwifruit with hexane, acetone, methanol, and 70% methanol; the extracts were then fractionated using silica gel and ODS column chromatographies to examine their biological activities. Different fractions like H1, H2 (from the hexane extract), A1, A2 (from the acetone extract), and M2 (from the methanol extract) were tested, as well as more hydrophilic fractions from the 70% methanol extract.
In the discussion of the results, fractions H1, H2, A1, A2 and M2 displayed notable cytotoxic activity against human oral tumor cell lines, with these showing more sensitivity compared to human gingival fibroblasts. The hydrophilic fractions from the 70% methanol extract demonstrated higher anti-HIV activity, radical generation, and oxygen scavenging activity. However, the antibacterial activity of these fractions was generally lower than that of the more lipophilic (hexane, acetone, methanol) extracts, indicating no distinct antimicrobial action. Interestingly, all fractions were inactive against Helicobacter pylori.
Kiwifruit and kiwifruit extracts may have a positive impact on constipation in adults by increasing weekly bowel movements, reducing abdominal pain, and minimizing straining.
2022 Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Kiwifruit and Kiwifruit Extracts for Treatment of Constipation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Eltorki M, Leong R, Ratcliffe EM
Systematic Review Constipation Kiwifruit
Kiwifruit and kiwifruit extracts show promise in increasing weekly bowel movements and reducing abdominal pain and straining in adults with constipation, although the overall evidence is of low certainty. However, kiwifruit may lead to minor adverse effects, such as bloating and flatulence, compared to placebo, indicating potential for its use as a dietary supplement in constipation management, especially in conjunction with other laxatives if necessary, but further research is needed to establish its effectiveness.
Consuming green kiwifruits is associated with a clinically relevant increase of ≥ 1.5 complete spontaneous bowel movements per week in those experiencing constipation.
2022 American Journal of Gastroenterology Consumption of 2 Green Kiwifruits Daily Improves Constipation and Abdominal Comfort—Results of an International Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial Gearry R, Fukudo S, Barbara G, Kuhn-Sherlock B, Ansell J, Blatchford P, et al.
Randomised Controlled Trial Constipation Irritable Bowel Syndrome Kiwifruit
Participants included healthy controls (n = 63), patients with functional constipation (FC, n = 60), and patients with constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-C, n = 61) randomly assigned to consume 2 green kiwifruits or psyllium (7.5 g) per day for 4 weeks, followed by a 4-week washout, and then the other treatment for 4 weeks. The primary outcome was the number of complete spontaneous bowel movements (CSBM) per week. Secondary outcomes included GI comfort which was measured using the GI symptom rating scale, a validated instrument. Data (intent-to-treat) were analyzed as difference from baseline using repeated measures analysis of variance suitable for AB/BA crossover design.
Consumption of green kiwifruit was associated with a clinically relevant increase of ≥ 1.5 CSBM per week (FC; 1.53, P < 0.0001, IBS-C; 1.73, P = 0.0003) and significantly improved measures of GI comfort (GI symptom rating scale total score) in constipated participants (FC, P < 0.0001; IBS-C, P < 0.0001). No significant adverse events were observed.
Two gold kiwifruit daily are as effective as fiber-matched psyllium in treating constipation in adults and should be considered as a treatment option.
2022 Nutrients Two Gold Kiwifruit Daily for Effective Treatment of Constipation in Adults—A Randomized Clinical Trial Bayer SB, Heenan P, Frampton C, Wall CL, Drummond LN, Roy NC, et al.
Randomised Controlled Trial Constipation Gold Kiwifruit Kiwifruit
This study provided evidence that habitual consumption of two gold kiwifruit daily, a realistic standard serving of fruit, is at least as effective as fiber-matched psyllium in lieu of placebo in treating constipation in adults, with fewer side effects, and offers greater ease of defecation through the improvement of stool consistency and reduction of straining.
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