BEIJING, April 9 (Xinhuanet) -- A common herbal extract may improve treatment of bladder infections when it is taken with antibiotics, according to U.S. researchers quoted by media reports Monday.

    This kid of extract from the Indian coleus plant, Forskolin, can be found in common health food stores and promoted as an allergy and fat loss aid.

    The team at Duke University Medical Center say that this extract can prevent urinary tract infections in the bladder recurring even after treatment with antibiotics; Forskolin they say has the potential along with antibiotics to kill the bacteria which is the main cause of infections in the bladder.

    Urinary tract infections in the bladders infect women four times as often as men and about 90 percent of the cases are caused by E. coli bacteria. Many infections return just weeks after antibiotic treatment.

    Urinary tract infections are a serious health problem affecting millions of people each year and are the second most common type of infection in the body; they account for about 8.3 million doctor visits each year.

    In tests in mice, the extract Forskolin can cause the pouches to kick out the bacteria, allowing antibiotics to kill them, said the lead researcher, microbiologist Soman N. Abraham.

    However, it does not mean that people can treat themselves at home, added Abraham. Because urinary tract infections must be treated with antibiotics since they can quickly spread to the kidneys.

    The fact that Forskolin is being used by some people does help indicate it is safe, he said.

    "In some patients, such augmentation may be beneficial. Once human studies are done, we'll have a better idea," Dr. Gregor Reid of the Lawson Health Research Institute in London, Ontario, said. "For now, this concept is a long way from being used in patients," he added.

    (Agencies)