Peppermint oil exhibits antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory properties and alters gut microbial community composition and gas production in vitro
- 1Bionorica SE
Abstract
Background: Peppermint oil (PMO) is an herbal medicinal product used for the symptomatic relief of minor spasms of the gastrointestinal tract, flatulence and abdominal pain, especially in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). To gain a more comprehensive understanding of the multimodal effects of PMO in IBS, the investigations aimed to confirm its antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory effects and assess direct effects of PMO on the human gut microbiome and microbial gas production in vitro .
Methods: To investigate the spasmolytic activity of PMO (BNO 2910), circular smooth muscle strips from the proximal colon of five male guinea pigs were used. Its anti-inflammatory potential was evaluated using RAW 264.7 macrophages stimulated with LPS. TNF secretion and nitrite levels, as an indicator of NO production, were measured using ELISA and Griess reagent, respectively. Effects on the human gut microbiome and colonic fermentation activity were assessed in an anaerobic in vitro fermentation system inoculated with stool samples from six healthy donors using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, flow cytometry-based cell counting and gas production measurements.
Results: PMO showed antispasmodic effects on isolated smooth muscle strips of guinea pig colon tissue as well as inhibition of LPS-induced TNF secretion and NO induction in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Additionally, PMO significantly reduced microbial gas production in stool samples from healthy donors, indicating reduced microbial fermentation activity under the experimental conditions, while the alpha diversity indices richness and evenness were maintained or even increased. At the genus level, PMO showed direct effects on microbiome community composition, inhibiting the growth of potential disease-related organisms (e.g., Escherichia-Shigella or Eggerthella) , while maintaining or even increasing the abundance of health-related organisms (e.g., Blautia and Faecalibacterium ).
Conclusion: Besides antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory effects, PMO exhibits direct effects on the human gut microbiome, including the modulation of microbial communities and total gas production in vitro . To determine the specific relevance of the observed microbiome-related effects of PMO in IBS further disease-specific studies are warranted.
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BibTeX
@article{buettner2026peppermint,
title = {{Peppermint oil exhibits antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory properties and alters gut microbial community composition and gas production in vitro}},
author = {Christian Buettner and Philipp Peterburs and Anja Schulz-Kuhnt and Lars Herrmann and Michael Soeberdt and Christoph Abels},
journal = {Frontiers in Pharmacology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fphar.2026.1963380},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2026.1963380/full},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Peppermint oil exhibits antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory properties and alters gut microbial community composition and gas production in vitro
AU - Christian Buettner
AU - Philipp Peterburs
AU - Anja Schulz-Kuhnt
AU - Lars Herrmann
AU - Michael Soeberdt
AU - Christoph Abels
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/22
JO - Frontiers in Pharmacology
DO - 10.3389/fphar.2026.1963380
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2026.1963380/full
AB - Background: Peppermint oil (PMO) is an herbal medicinal product used for the symptomatic relief of minor spasms of the gastrointestinal tract, flatulence and abdominal pain, especially in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). To gain a more comprehensive understanding of the multimodal effects of PMO in IBS, the investigations aimed to confirm its antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory effects and assess direct effects of PMO on the human gut microbiome and microbial gas production in vitro . Methods: To investigate the spasmolytic activity of PMO (BNO 2910), circular smooth muscle strips from the proximal colon of five male guinea pigs were used. Its anti-inflammatory potential was evaluated using RAW 264.7 macrophages stimulated with LPS. TNF secretion and nitrite levels, as an indicator of NO production, were measured using ELISA and Griess reagent, respectively. Effects on the human gut microbiome and colonic fermentation activity were assessed in an anaerobic in vitro fermentation system inoculated with stool samples from six healthy donors using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, flow cytometry-based cell counting and gas production measurements. Results: PMO showed antispasmodic effects on isolated smooth muscle strips of guinea pig colon tissue as well as inhibition of LPS-induced TNF secretion and NO induction in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Additionally, PMO significantly reduced microbial gas production in stool samples from healthy donors, indicating reduced microbial fermentation activity under the experimental conditions, while the alpha diversity indices richness and evenness were maintained or even increased. At the genus level, PMO showed direct effects on microbiome community composition, inhibiting the growth of potential disease-related organisms (e.g., Escherichia-Shigella or Eggerthella) , while maintaining or even increasing the abundance of health-related organisms (e.g., Blautia and Faecalibacterium ). Conclusion: Besides antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory effects, PMO exhibits direct effects on the human gut microbiome, including the modulation of microbial communities and total gas production in vitro . To determine the specific relevance of the observed microbiome-related effects of PMO in IBS further disease-specific studies are warranted.
SN - 1663-9812
ER -