Use of a preparation based on zinc, carnosine and Macrocystis pyrifera in the treatment of gastric disorders due to Helicobacter pylori: a case series

Abstract

The term ‘gastritis’ refers to an inflammatory process of the gastric mucosa characterized by heartburn, retrosternal pain, dysphagia and cough, and is one of the most widespread causes of discomfort in the world population. The identification of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) has significantly contributed to elucidation of the aetiopathogenesis and treatment of some diseases of the upper digestive tract, for which this Gram-negative and acid-tolerant flagellated bacterium is now recognized as the main aetiological agent. Traditional medications against chronic gastritis can produce adverse effects, so nutritional strategies are desirable to prevent the aggravation of gastric mucosal damage. Five patients with a long history of gastrointestinal disorders were diagnosed with reflux oesophagitis and were positive for H. pylori as confirmed by the urea breath test and antigen detection in stools. All carried out first-line medical therapy for eradication, with the exception of a pregnant woman: standard triple therapy, with pump inhibitor and antibiotics (amoxicillin and clarithromycin) or sequential therapy, first with a pump inhibitor associated with antibiotics, then a pump inhibitor and metronidazole. All patients reported serious side effects related to the use of drugs, which is why they refused second-line therapy, but agreed to undergo treatment with esomeprazole pump inhibitor (40 mg) combined with a preparation based on zinc, carnosine and Macrocystis pyrifera (ZCM) (three capsules per day, 20 minutes after meals) for one month. The patients varied by sex and age: two females of 36 and 54 years and three males of 19, 39 and 60 years. In the observed cases, the combination of pump inhibitors with a preparation based on ZCM led to the reduction of symptoms in patients who did not respond to drug treatment alone, and in two subjects to the eradication of H. pylori. Despite the small size of the sample, the findings are of considerable interest and studies should be conducted on a larger scale to confirm them.