Comparative study of Nigella sativa and triple therapy in eradication of helicobacter pylori in patients with non-ulcer dyspepsia

ABSTRACT

A large number of diseases are ascribed to Helicobacter pylori [H. pylori], particularly chronic active gastritis, peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer. Successful treatment of H. pylori infection with antimicrobial agents can lead to regression of H. pylori-associated disorders. Antibiotic resistance against used herb, possesses in vitro anti-helicobacter activity. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of NS in eradication of H. pylori infection in non-ulcer dyspeptic patients. The study was conducted on 88 adult patients attending King Fahd Hospital of the University, Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia, from 2007 to 2008, with dyspeptic symptoms and found positive for H. pylori infection by histopathology and urease test. Patients were randomly assigned to four groups, receiving i] triple therapy [TT] comprising of clarithromycin, amoxicillin, omeprazole [n=23], ii] 1 g NS + 40 mg omeprazole [OM] [n=21, iii] 2 g NS+ OM [n=21] or iv] 3 g NS + OM [n=23]. Negative H. pylori stool antigen test four weeks after end of treatment was considered as eradication. H. pylori eradication was 82.6, 47.6, 66.7 and 47.8% with TT, 1 g NS, 2 g NS and 3 g NS, respectively. Eradication rates with 2 g NS and TT were statistically not different from each other, whereas H. pylori eradication with other doses was significantly less than that with TT [P <0.05]. Dyspepsia symptoms improved in all groups to a similar extent. N. sativa seeds possess clinically useful anti-H. pylori activity, comparable to triple therapy. Further clinical studies combining N. sativa with antibiotics are suggested