Diverse effects of ascorbic acid and palmitoyl ascorbate on Helicobacter pylori survival and growth

Among many antioxidants used in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries, ascorbic acid (AA) is one of the most important. AA has been suggested to decrease the risk of gastric disease (gastritis, duodenal ulcer, and carcinoma) by direct action on Helicobacter pylori. However, there are limited studies on the possible role of AA and its derivatives such as palmitoyl ascorbate (PA) on the growth and survival of H. pylori. In the present study it was demonstrated in vitro that AA in the concentration range 10–20 mg ml −1 (50–100 mM) inhibited H. pylori growth in liquid medium under microaerophilic conditions. In contrast, under aerobic conditions AA in the concentration range 2–20 mg ml −1 (10–100 mM) significantly increased the survival of H. pylori presumably eliminating the toxic effect of reactive oxygen species on bacterial cells. The hydrophobic derivative of AA, PA (a food antioxidant), demonstrated a strong antibacterial effect, under both aerobic and microaerophilic conditions in the concentration range 0.04–0.4 mg ml −1 (0.1–1.0 mM). This effect was also tested on other bacterial strains: Escherichia coli, Proteus vulgaris, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterococcus faecalis, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Clostridium sporogenes and Campylobacter jejuni. Among these bacterial strains, PA showed a similar inhibitory effect on B. cereus and B. subtilis as observed with H. pylori. The results suggest that PA may be considered an important AA derivative in eradication of H. pylori in vitro and in vivo and to decrease the risk for gastric diseases.