Abstract

The Effect of Parsley in the Treatment of UTI in Iraqi Patients

Background: Urinary tract infections (UTI) are a common worldwide problem that affects the life of 150 million patients. As the problem of antibacterial resistance is rising, there is a growing and a continuous need for additional antimicrobial agents which could be from herbal sources. Parsley is a well-known herbal agent used in folk medicine in a variety of conditions. Aim: This study aimed to investigate the role of parsley in the treatment of UTI. Method: Total 37 patients were recruited and diagnosed as having UTI after taking a detailed history, performing a clinical examination, conducting GUE (general urine exam), and abdominal ultrasonography (U/S). They were prescribed parsley powder containing capsule 500 mg twice daily for 10 days. Patients were re-evaluated after 14 days for the same parameters. Results: The patients have expressed marked improvement after completing their course of treatment with parsley in terms of frequency, urgency, dysuria, suprapubic pain, and loin pain with high statistical significance. Moreover, the parameters of GUE have shown a strong decline in terms of acidity, pus cells, RBCs, crystals, and epithelial cells with high statistical significance. Conclusions: Parsley is a promising agent that could be implemented in the treatment of UTI. Further studies are required to explore the possibility of extracting its antimicrobial constituents for the preparation of new antimicrobials at an industrial level.

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