Mastic gum for treating peptic ulcers?

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http://www.pharmj.com/Editorial/20000325/clinical/masticgum.html

The Pharmaceutical Journal Vol 264 No 7089 p459

March 25, 2000 Clinical

Mastic gum for treating peptic ulcers?

Research is under way to establish whether mastic gum, a sap resin from

Pistacia lentiscus, a Mediterranean

tree, can kill Helicobacter pylori and thus might be useful in the

treatment of peptic ulcers.

Dr Dlawer Ala'Aldeen (reader in clinical microbiology, Nottingham

university) and colleagues reported in December,

1998, in vitro data showing that 1g a day of mastic gum for two weeks

can cure peptic ulcers.

Although the mechanism responsible was not clear, their results

indicated antibacterial activity against H pylori

(New England Journal of Medicine 1998;339:1946).

Further work is now planned. Dr Logan (senior lecturer in

gastroenterology, Nottingham university) told

The Journal recently that he had applied for approval for a pilot study

to examine the effects of mastic gum in

patient volunteers infected with H pylori. Dr Logan said that the NEJM

data were " tantalising " . However, he said

that one of the main problems with developing new treatments for H

pylori was that excellent in vitro activity

was often not replicated in vivo. Reasons for this included poor

penetration of the gastric mucus, poor

distribution to different parts of the stomach and a lack of good animal

models of infection. Specific problems for

mastic gum related to the product's purity and consistency.

Dr Logan said that what was interesting about mastic gum was that

historical data regarding its use in ulcer

healing suggested that " even if it has no effect on H pylori, it may

promote ulcer healing through other

mechanisms " .

Goldshield Healthcare has recently launched a product containing mastic

gum (Mastika) which contain 250mg

granulated mastic gum (price £14.95 for 60 capsules).