Dietary geraniol ameliorates intestinal dysbiosis and relieves symptoms in irritable bowel syndrome patients: a pilot study

• Main Authors: Fernando Rizzello (Author), Chiara Ricci (Author), Michela Scandella (Author), Elena Cavazza (Author), Elisabetta Giovanardi (Author), Maria Chiara Valerii (Author), Massimo Campieri (Author), Antonietta Comparone (Author), Luigia De Fazio (Author), Marco Candela (Author), Silvia Turroni (Author), Enzo Spisni (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: BMC, 2018-12-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 10.1186/s12906-018-2403-6; 1472-6882
• Keywords: Geraniol; Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS); Microbiota; Inflammation; Dysbiosis; Other systems of medicine; RZ201-999
• Source: BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Vol 18, Iss 1, Pp 1-11 (2018)

Abstract Background (Trans)-3,7-Dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-ol, commonly called geraniol (Ge-OH), is an acyclic monoterpene alcohol with well-known anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. Ge-OH is a non-toxic compound classified as Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) by the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Food Security Agency. Methods Ge-OH was orally administered at a maximum daily dose of 8 mg kg(− 1) body weight for four weeks in a delayed release formulation capable of reaching the colon. Fecal microbiota and blood cytokines were analyzed before and after Ge-OH treatment, as well as IBS symptomatology by using Visual Analogue Scale (VAS-IBS). Results The results show that orally administered Ge-OH is a powerful modulator of the intestinal microbial ecosystem, capable of leading to increased relative abundances of Collinsella and especially Faecalibacterium, a well-known health-promoting butyrate producer consistently found to be decreased in IBS patients. Moreover, Ge-OH strongly improved the clinical symptoms of colitis by significantly reducing the score recorded by the VAS-IBS questionnaire. Clinical improvement was associated with a significant reduction in the circulating MIP-1β, a chemokine found to be increased in several IBS patients. Conclusion Ge-OH could be a powerful component for food supplement targeted to the treatment of IBS patients. Trial registration ISRCTN47041881, retrospectively registered on 19th July 2018.