Antibiotics come in many different types. Modern science distinguishes more than a hundred of them. These organic substances are mainly the product of various species of fungi; some of them are now synthetically produced.
Antibiotics (some of them) are used in medicine (penicillin, streptomycin, biomycin, levomycetin and a number of others). Some such organic substances lose their activity in the presence of blood and other body fluids and tissues or are poisonous not only to microbes but also to the human body. Having a strong therapeutic property, antibiotics can have unexpected adverse effects on the patient's body, especially with prolonged use, cause complications, disrupting the synthesis and absorption of some vitamins, cause resistance of microbes to antibiotics.
Antibiotics, when used for long periods of time, give immunity to some species of bacteria to the effects of these substances. The effect is reduced when several antibiotics with different mechanisms of action are combined, e.g. penicillin with streptomycin.
Antibiotics are a factor in the natural immunity of plants. These organic substances contain the tissues and fluids of the human body. For example, saliva has lysicim to kill germs, erythrocytes-erythrin to kill diphtheria bacteria. Clean human skin has high antibiotic properties.
Phytoncides
.Prof. Б. П. Tokin, who has studied since 1928. volatile organic substances and sap produced by higher plants, found that they have the ability to inhibit the growth of bacteria, fungi and protozoan microorganisms. He called them phytoncides (from Greek. phytdn - plant and lat. caedo - killing), t. е. by plant killers.
In most cases phytoncides are not one substance but a complex of organic compounds. The chemical composition of phytoncides has not been established.
Phytoncides are natural toxic chemicals produced by plants in self-defense, protecting living tissues from microbes multiplying in them. At the same time phytoncides activate many vital functions of plants, kill insects, deter rodents, stimulate the growth of some plants, depress others.
Phytoncides have been found to be secreted by all plants both on land and in water, and they are produced only by living cells. Different plant species and different organs of the same plant can produce different phytoncides. Phytoncides from different plants have different degrees of potency and different chemical compositions. Some plants produce highly volatile fractions, while others produce little or no volatiles. Depending on the time of year, weather, hour of day, soil and other reasons, plants release different amounts of phytoncides and sometimes of different quality. The phytoncides of some plants are bactericidal, while others are bacteriostatic.
The release of phytoncides once plant tissues are broken down (e.g., pulverization) ceases with a few exceptions. For example, garlic phytoncides are released 200-300 hours after crushing. The death of microorganisms from the action of phytoncides comes very quickly. Within minutes, the phytoncides of the cherry branch kill germs in the glass standing next to it.
Phytoncides are potent antibiotics (especially the juice of garlic, onions, radishes, horseradish, etc.).) and are successfully used in the treatment and prevention of many diseases (phytoncidotherapy): with influenza, catarrhal condition of the upper respiratory tract, sore throat, some gynecological diseases, diseases of the gums and teeth, pustular skin diseases, as well as diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and others. Some preparations containing phytoncides, along with antibiotic action increases the motor and secretory functions of the gastrointestinal tract, improve the intestine, which increases the possibility of using them to suppress the process of putrefaction and fermentation in the intestine, with intestinal atony, colitis.
Phytoncidal preparations of garlic and onion are prescribed for hypertension and atherosclerosis. Garlic powder in the treatment of wounds in rabbits with radiation sickness showed positive results.
Siberian scientists have created a medicinal preparation from garlic. It kills many pathogenic microbes and stimulates the body's own defenses, which compares favorably to most other antibiotics.
The phytoncides of garlic are the most studied. They have been found to kill dysentery bacilli and in vitro even the causative agent of plague (B. Salo, 1965). Allicin, defensoate, sativin were isolated from garlic phytoncides and the chemical structure of a number of other preparations was elucidated. Of these, the chemical structure has been fully studied and only allicin, which kills germs within seconds, has been synthesized. The constituents of garlic have neurotropic properties and have therapeutic effects in atherosclerosis (3. В. Ermolieva, 1966).
Preparations from St. John's wort - immanin, novoimmanin - have found application in surgery.
Phytoncidal substances in other medicinal plants are less than in garlic and onions, but they also have a disinfectant effect in the oral cavity and inhibit putrefactive intestinal microorganisms, favoring the vitality of beneficial intestinal bacteria, which contributes to intestinal health. Under the influence of phytoncides significantly reduces the number of microorganisms in the air.
It has been repeatedly stated in the literature that phytoncides from fresh plants are preferred as they are more active. Б. П. Tokin notes that artificial extracts are "mutilated phytoncides," an altered chemical portion of the bactericidal substances produced by plants.
Recently, researched already about a thousand plants with phytoncidal properties, and in many clinics in the USSR are treated for various diseases phytoncides in the form of porridge prepared from the plants, juices from them or in the form of specially prepared preparations.
Researchers, recently studying the flora of the North Caucasus, have shown that most plants retain their phytoncides and in the dried state. The latter are conserved in all plants. Experiments have established that phytoncides of a number of plants remain bactericidal and when heated. Dried leaves and flowers continue to act protistocidally and bacteriostatically.
The following plants have the greatest phytoncidal activity: garlic, onion, basil, eucalyptus, sage, St. John's wort, goldenseal, fir, violet, yarrow, buttercups and others..
