Z Gastroenterol 2016; 54 - KV340
DOI: 10.1055/s-0036-1587116

The effects of the multi-herbal preparation STW5 on intestinal inflammation and motility

L Marx 1, D Grundmann 1, D Schreiber 1, D Simon 1, A Braun 1, W Burkhardt 1, C Xu 1, H Abdel-Aziz 2, O Kelber 2, KH Schäfer 1
  • 1University of Applied Sciences, Biotechnology, Zweibrücken, Deutschland
  • 2Steigerwald Arzneimittelwerk GmbH, Scientific Department, Darmstadt, Deutschland

The multi-component herbal preparation STW5 (Iberogast®) is a proven drug to relieve symptoms of inflammatory bowel diseases. Another therapeutic property of STW5 is its gastro-intestinal spasmolytic effect in intestinal diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome.

The effect of STW5 on intestinal inflammation and motility was investigated in the small intestine of adult mice. The spasmolytic effect of STW5 was demonstrated by stimulation of gut motility by luminal perfusion with neostigmine with and without the presence of STW5 (+/-). Moreover, a proinflammatory cytokine cocktail (IL1ß, TNFα, IFNγ) was injected into the supporting blood vessel arcades of small intestinal segments to measure the intestinal motility under local induced inflammation (+/-STW5). Furthermore, the effect of STW5 on systemic induced inflammation was investigated using a jugular vein injection of the proinflammatory cytokine mixture. To do so, intestinal segments were prepared and luminally perfused (+/-STW5). In order to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of STW5 in these intestinal segments, the cytokines in the gut wall homogenates were determined by Multiplex-ELISA. Additionally, isolated myenteric plexus was cultured and also stimulated with the cytokine cocktail (+/-STW5). The supernatants of the myenteric plexus cultures were collected after 24h and also analyzed by Multiplex-ELISA.

A spasmolytic effect of STW5 on the motility of neostigmine stimulated intestinal segments was noticed. Interestingly, a reduced motility of intestinal segments could be shown during local inflammation. This inflammatory caused inhibitory effect was abolished by simultaneously luminal instillation of STW5. Higher amounts of the proinflammatory cytokines G-CSF, GM-CSF, IL-6 and LIF under inflammatory conditions could be detected in both gut wall homogenates and myenteric plexus cultures. The treatment with STW5 leads to decreased cytokine concentrations in these homogenates and myenteric plexus culture supernatants indicating an anti-inflammatory effect of STW5.

In conclusion, the multi-herbal compound STW5 has a spasmolytic effect, but otherwise it recovers also inflammation reduced motility. Moreover, STW5 has an anti-inflammatory effect by influencing the amount and release of cytokines.