Introduction
A multitude of causes and likewise also targets for therapeutic interventions have been identified in functional gastrointestinal diseases (FGDs) [1]. Therefore, a multi-target approach is a promising therapeutic strategy, as is exemplified by the herbal combination medicinal product STW 5 (Iberogast), which has been proven to be effective in a large number of randomized controlled clinical studies, while likewise exhibiting a highly favourable safety profile [2]. The fact, that STW 5 consists of nine plant extracts, makes the combination an ideal candidate for the use of the newly described method of step-wise cluster analysis, a standardized procedure to transfer heterogeneous pharmacological data, from different models, into effect size categories.
Methods
This method is based on a step-wise cluster formation starting from the level of single tests up to the level of different pathomechanisms involved in the development of a certain disease, in this case functional dyspepsia (FD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Results
The result is based on an overview on the pharmacological data on STW 5 and its single components, analysed using step-wise cluster formation. The different modes of action address multiple etiologic factors involved in functional dyspepsia and irritable bowel syndrome, like hyper- and hypomotility, acidity, inflammation and hypersensitivity, and also inflammatory gastrointestinal diseases. The results on STW 5 and the contribution of the single constituents to the overall multi-target action of this herbal combination preparation are evaluated and visualized by 2D histograms.
Conclusion
Thus, by making the allocation of specific actions to the different components of STW 5 manageable, the results also give support to the clinical use of the combination in patients with different symptom clusters.
References: 1. Allescher et al. 2006, Phytomedicine 13 SV: 2-11; 2. Storr et al. 2016, Pharmakon 4: 356-364