Microbiological efficacy of the dietary supplement Ciurol N against uropathogens: a pilot study

Slesarevskaya M.N., Kuzmin I.V., Kraeva L.A., Smirnova E.V.

1) Pavlov First Saint Petersburg State Medical University, St. Petersburg, Russia; 2) Saint Petersburg Pasteur Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, St. Petersburg, Russia; 3) S.M. Kirov Military Medical Academy, St. Petersburg, Russia; 4) Center of Hygiene and Epidemiology in the City of Saint Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Russia

Background. Dietary supplements play an important role in the treatment and prevention of urinary tract infections (UTIs). However, their mechanism of action often remains unclear.
Aim. To study the anti-adhesive, antibiofilm, and direct antibacterial activity of the dietary supplement Ciurol N against uropathogenic bacteria causing UTIs.
Materials and methods. The study material consisted of uropathogenic microorganisms (127 strains) isolated from urine samples of 120 women with recurrent UTIs. Five cultures each of the most commonly detected uropathogens were selected: Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, and Enterococcus faecalis (20 samples in total). The anti-adhesive activity of Ciurol N was assessed by changes in the adhesion index (AI), antibiofilm activity by changes in the optical density of biofilms, and the direct antibacterial effect by the number of viable bacteria after interaction with the tested product, with calculation of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). Control samples consisted of bacterial suspensions in meat-peptone broth at a concentration of 1×102 CFU/mL, whereas experimental samples consisted of the same bacterial concentration supplemented with Ciurol N.
Results. In the experimental samples, 24 hours after the start of the study, AI values compared with the control were lower by 2.4-fold for E. coli, 2.4-fold for K. pneumoniae, 2.2-fold for P. mirabilis, and 2.8-fold for E. faecalis. At the same time point after the addition of Ciurol N, the optical density values of biofilms were 2.2-2.8 times lower than in the control for all studied uropathogens. A direct antibacterial effect of Ciurol N was also demonstrated, as evidenced by suppression of colony growth of the studied microorganisms. Overall, for all uropathogens, a stable antibacterial effect persisted for 9 hours of observation. After 12 hours, an increase in the number of viable colonies was observed; however, their number remained substantially lower than in the control.
Conclusions. The results of this study indicate that the dietary supplement Ciurol N has anti-adhesive, antibiofilm, and direct antibacterial activity in vitro against the main uropathogens. These findings may be useful for planning studies of the clinical efficacy of Ciurol N in patients with UTIs.

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About the Authors

Corresponding author: M.N. Slesarevskaya – Ph.D., Senior Researcher, Urology Research Center, Research Institute of Surgery and Emergency Medicine, Pavlov First Saint Petersburg State Medical University, Ministry of Health of Russia, St. Petersburg, Russia; e-mail: mns-1971@yandex.ru

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