title: Antibacterial in vitro effects of preparations from Anthroposophical Medicine.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Medications from Anthroposophical Medicine (AM) are clinically used for the treatment of infections within a whole medical system but have not yet been evaluated regarding antibacterial effects. The aims of this study was to investigate antibacterial activity of AM medications in cell culture.
  
  
  METHODS
  Screening of AM drug registers for preparations used to treat any kind of infection and being available in dilutions ≤ D2 and without alcoholic content. Selected medications were screened for antimicrobial activity against Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa using the agar diffusion method. For antimicrobial active preparations growth kinetics (drop plate method) and minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC, macrodilution method) were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-three preparations matched the selection criteria and were chosen for own experiments. One of them (Berberis Decoctum D2) exhibited bactericidal activities against Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus, including methicillin resistant strains. The MIC could be determined as 5 mg/ml. The effects could be related to the content of berberine in the extract. No activity towards gram-negative bacteria was found. The other tested extracts had no antibacterial effects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Berberis Decoctum D2 which is used in AM to treat infections exhibits bactericidal effects on Staphylococcus aureus, including methicillin resistant strains.
authors.affiliation: Center for Complementary Medicine, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Roser
authors.affiliation: Center for Complementary Medicine, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gründemann
authors.affiliation: Hygiene and Molecular Laboratory, Environmental Health Sciences and Hospital Infection Control, University Medical Center Freiburg, Breisacher Str. 115B, 79106, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Inge
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Engels
authors.affiliation: Center for Complementary Medicine, Freiburg, Germany. roman.huber@uniklinik-freiburg.de.|Center for Complementary Medicine, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University Medical Center of Freiburg, Breisacher Str. 115B, 79106, Freiburg, Germany. roman.huber@uniklinik-freiburg.de.
authors.forename: Roman
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Huber
keywords: Berberine; Berberis radix; MRSA; Parenteral use; Staphylococcus