1 Annales Universitatis Paedagogicae Cracoviensis Studia Naturae, 8: XX–XX, 2023 ISSN 2543-8832 DOI: 10.24917/25438832.8.x Agnieszka Tatoj 1 *, Aleksandra Smagieł 1 , Himani Yadav 2 , Peiman Zandi 3 1 Department of Botany, Institute of Biology and Earth Science, Pedagogical University of Krakow, 30-084 Kraków Poland; *agnieszka.tatoj@doktorant.up.krakow.pl 2 Department of Botany, Chattrra Marg University of Delhi, New Delhi-110007, India 3 International Faculty of Applied Technology, Yibin University, Yibin 644000, China Plants supporting the treatment of Lyme disease Introduction Lyme disease (= tick-borne spirochete, Lyme disease; Latin borreliosis, morbus Lyme) is a chronic multi-system disease caused by spirochaetes (order Spirochaetes) of the species Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. (in a broad sense of this taxon) (LoGiudice et al., 2003; Stanek, Reiter, 2011). Transmitted by ticks of the genus Ixodes Latreille, from the tick family Ixoidae. B. burgdorferi is a complex taxon, divided into a number of species that have pathogenic properties and operate in different regions of the world (Tab. 1). A larva Ambylomma tick containing spirochete-like cells was discovered in Dominican amber by the American biologist George Poinar in 2014 (Nuwer, 2014). The age of this specimen was estimated at 15–20 million years. Poinar also suspected that the first humans, who appeared on Earth about 200,000 years ago, suffered from ailments caused by the bites of these invertebrates. However, he did not compare this fossil genetic material with currently known forms of Lyme disease, as this would have destroyed his precious specimen. Poinar (2014) noted that the route of infection probably took place in a similar way as at present – during food intake by a tick burrowing into the host's body. The earliest documented case of Lyme disease dates back to 5,300 years ago and was discovered in an ice mummy. The genus name of the Borrelia bacteria was given from the name of the researcher who discovered it in 1905 – Amandee Borrela (Koperwas, 2013). Arvid Afzelius, a Swedish dermatologist, was the first to associate the occurrence of erythema migrans with a tick bite. In 1909, he undertook to study this relationship. He was followed by others – Charles Garin and Antoine 2 Bujadoux, who in 1922 described the symptoms of neuroborreliosis. In 1941 and 1944, Alfred Bannwarth linked the neurological syndrome of erythema migrans with tick bites (Nuwer, 2014). Tab. 1. Transmission of selected species of Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. (according to Sinski, Welc-Faleciak, 2012 – updated) Species of B. burgdorferi s.l. Vector tick species Animal reservoir Occurrence area Borrelia burgdorferi Johnson et al. 1984 emend. Baranton et al. 1992 s.str. Ixodes pacificus, I. ricinus, I. scapularis birds, rodents Europe, North America B. afzelii Manuela Marin Canica et al. 1994 I. persulcatus, I. ricinus rodents, other small mammals Europe, Asia B. garinii Baranton et al. 1992 I. persulcatus, I. ricinus birds, rodents Europe a, Asia B. lusitaniae Le Fleche et al. 1997 I. ricinus rodents Europe, North America, North Africa B. spielmanii Richter et al. 2006 I. ricinus rodents Europe B. valaisiana Wang et al. 1997 I. ricinus, I. columnae birds Europe Asia B. bavariensis Margos et al. 2013 I. ricinus rodents Europe B. bissettii = B. bissettiae Gupta 2019 I. ricinus, I. scapularis, I. pacificus birds, rodents Europe, Asia, North America B. lusitaniae Le Fleche et al. 1997 I. ricinus lizards Europe, North Africa Quite late, Lyme disease began to be associated with non-specific symptoms. The year 1975 was a breakthrough because in that year Lyme disease was diagnosed in the city of Lyme (hence the common name of this disease). At that time, 12 cases of arthritis in children were described and associated with skin lesions that occurred after a tick bite (Fraser et al., 1997; Long, Cohn, 2018). Since then, the number of patients has been steadily increasing (Magnarelli 2009; Koperwas, 2013; Stone et al., 2017). Based on the most recent data from 2010–2018, approximately 476,000 people are diagnosed and treated with Lyme disease in the United States each year (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). In 1982, Wilhelm Burgdorfer isolated Borrelia spirochetes, which were named after him – B. burgdorferi; it is one of the most common Borrelia species in North America (Tab. 1). Thanks to this, he also proved the relationship between tick bites and Lyme disease (Fraser et al., 1997). Infection occurs when an infected tick burrows into the skin to collect food – human blood, and releases saliva or the contents of the midgut, in other words, “vomit”. Spirochetes are present in the digestive tract of the tick, after multiplication they pass into the salivary glands and then penetrate the skin, later migrating to distant human systems and organs, causing disease symptoms (Sobieszczańska et al., 1998; Cuningham 2005). 3 Fig. 1. The main ways of spread of Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. (according to Matysiak, 2018 – changed) The bacterial dissemination cycle can be divided into several stages. Ticks acquire the disease by biting into and coming into contact with bacteria from their host. The bacteria are then transferred by the tick into the blood or body fluids of the next host, which is a warm- blooded animal (mammal). In the third stage, the bacteria live in the cells of the mammal, and in the fourth, the infected cells die and release the bacteria into the blood, where the tick can pick them up again (Dumler, Bakken, 1998; Brochocka et al., 2018; Matysiak, 2018). Ticks have four stages of development – egg, larva, nymph and adult (Fig. 1). Lyme disease is a disease in which the symptoms are non-specific (ambiguous). The presence of erythema migrans on the skin is characteristic, but it does not appear in all infected people. It is estimated that erythema migrans occur in about 50–80% of patients. Erythema is a circular skin rash with a pale rim between the centre of the rash and the outer circle. Erythema migrans, as the name suggests, does not have to appear at the site of the bite, but it can wander all over the body (Cameron et al., 2014). It also happens that patients do not experience any symptoms at first, and the untreated disease takes various forms. The most common symptoms of Lyme disease include fatigue, headaches, migraines, dizziness, fever, 4 muscle and joint pain, general weakness, memory disorders, numbness of the limbs, muscle spasms, chills, sweats, visual disturbances, hair loss and the above-mentioned erythema migrans. Less common symptoms include difficulty breathing, sinusitis, diarrhoea, nausea, constipation, enlargement of the spleen and liver, weight loss, cystitis, impotence, libido disorders, psoriatic lesions, lymphocytic infiltrates on the skin, etc. Lyme disease also imitates mental disorders, it can cause severe anxiety attacks, combined with panic attacks (Matysiak, 2018). In the case of Lyme disease, patients reach for plant therapies when the disease has become chronic (late phase) and suffers from complications after antibiotic terapy, in the hope of improving their health (Cianciara, Juszczyk, 2012; Adrion et al., 2015; Aucott, 2015; Middelveen et al., 2018; Adams, 2022). However, according to the recommendations of scientific societies, such as the Polish Society of Epidemiologists and Doctors of Infectious Diseases (Polskie Towarzystwo Epidemiologów i Lekarzy Chorób Zakaźnych), antibiotics should be used in the treatment of Lyme disease and neuroborreliosis, which, depending on the form of the disease, can be administered orally or intravenously. Antibiotic treatment is not replaced by other therapies. Taking any preparations (whether they are herbs or supplements) that have not undergone clinical trials carries the risk of poisoning or allergies. This is only supportive treatment. There is no conclusive evidence for the effectiveness of treating Lyme disease other than antibiotics, as it is a bacterial infection. Taking herbs or supplements often mobilizes patients to a more healthy lifestyle, which in turn brings an improvement in well-being. This way of taking care of health after antibiotic therapy is considered by specialists to be appropriate and less harmful.Therefore, more and more different herbal preparations are commercially available for to support the treatment cycle and completed antibiotic therapy of Lyme disease. The main aim of this study is to make a list of plants, contained in herbal preparations and dietary supplements used to support Lyme disease therapy, available for sale without a prescription in Poland. Analysis methods The research consisted in analysing the composition of herbal preparations supporting the treatment of Lyme disease (supplements and herbal medicines without a prescription). Materials for the inventory were obtained from stationary in pharmacies and herbal shops in Krakow (southern Poland) and through a review of commercial offers of online herbal shops. 5 In total, 77 preparations available for sale were collected for analysis: stationary 29, online 48. Among the preparations, capsules and herbs for brewing prevailed. Other forms of preparations were less common (Fig. 2). The plant species obtained based on the above-mentioned analysis are summarised in a table, with the Latin name of the species and family affiliation, origin, type of herbal raw material and trade names of preparations in which they were recorded. Fig. 2. The forms of the analysed group of herbal medicines and supplements available in trade The origin of species was assumed mainly according to Podbielkowski, Studnik- Wójcikowska (2003), while the names of raw materials were taken from product packaging and the Internet Atlas of Vascular Plants of Poland (https://atlas-roslin.pl/rosliny- lecznicze.htm), with additions from various other Internet sources. A list of species whose raw materials are most often used in the treatment and supplementation of Lyme disease, the most numerously represented families and types of herbal raw materials used in the analysed group of preparations was also made. Nomenclature and belonging to families of European species and acclimatised in Europe were taken from the Internet Atlas of Vascular Plants of Poland (www.atlas-roslin.pl) and the Internet Atlas of Mushrooms (www.grzyby.pl), and exotic species from World Flora Online (https://wfoplantlist.org/plant-list/). The systematic arrangement of the families and their nomenclature was used according to Reveal (2007). 6 Results The conducted analysis showed that 77 preparations used in the treatment and supplementation of Lyme disease contain herbal raw materials of 101 plant species and one fungus (Tab. 2 – Appendix 1). The most common species in the studied group of preparations include Reynoutria japonica, Dipsacus sylvestris, Uncaria tomentosa, Cistus ×incanus, and Andrographis paniculata (Fig. 3). Fig. 3. The comparison of the most common species in the study group of herbal medicines and supplements Among the recorded species, most are native to areas of Asia, Europe and Africa (Fig. 4). Fewer species are native to the Americas (a total of 18 have been recorded). Some species are native to Eurasia – e.g. Chelidonium majus L., Angelica archangelica L., and others occur virtually everywhere and can be considered cosmopolitan, e.g. Trametes versicolor (L.) Lloyd, Equisetum arvense L., or Polygonum aviculare L. One species of unknown origin was also recorded – Citrus bergamia Risso (Risso) & Poit. 7 Fig. 4. The comparison of the number of species found in the study group of herbal medicines and supplements due to their origin In total, these species belong to 53 families (Tab. 3). The most numerous families are Lamiaceae and Rosaceae. Most families (as many as 34) are represented by one species. Tab. 3. The comparison of the share of medicinal species recorded in the analysed group of preparations within families (fungus, horsetails, gymnosperms, angiosperms: monocotyledonous, dicotyledonous); the most represented families are distinguished in grey No. Name of the family Number of species No. Name of the family Number of species 1. Polyporaceae Fr. ex Corda 1 28. Rosaceae Juss. 8 2. Equisetaceae Michx. ex DC 1 29. Hydrangeaceae Dumort. 1 3. Pinaceae Spreng. ex F. Rudolphi 2 30. Crassulaceae J. St.-Hil. 1 4. Asparagaceae Juss. 1 31. Saxifragaceae Juss. 1 5. Amaryllidaceae J. St.-Hil. 2 32. Fabaceae Lindl. 3 6. Smilacaceae Vent. 1 33. Rutaceae Juss. 4 7. Zingiberaceae Martinov 4 34. Geraniaceae Juss. 1 8. Bromeliaceae Juss. 1 35. Polygalaceae Hoffmanns. & Link 1 9. Poaceae Barnhart 5 36. Combretaceae R. Br. 3 10. Annonaceae Juss. 1 37. Onagraceae Juss. 1 11. Menispermaceae Juss. 2 38. Myrtaceae Juss. 4 12. Berberidaceae Juss. 1 39. Zygophyllaceae R. Br. 1 13. Papaveraceae Juss. 1 40. Araliaceae Juss. 1 14. Lauraceae Juss. 1789 1 41. Apiaceae Lindl 4 15. Piperaceae Giseke 1 42. Vitaceae Juss. 1 16. Juglandaceae DC. 1 43. Santalaceae R. Br. 1 17. Urticaceae Juss. 1 44. Oleaceae Hoffmanns. & Link 1 18. Polygonaceae Juss. 2 45. Apocynaceae Juss. 1 19. Theaceae Mirb. ex Ker Gawl. 1 46. Rubiaceae Juss. 2 20. Cistaceae Juss. 2 47. Adoxaceae E. Mey. 1 8 21. Moringaceae Martinov. 1 48. Dipsacaceae Juss. 1 22. Caricaceae Dumort. 1 49. Solanaceae Juss. 2 23. Cucurbitaceae Juss. 1 50. Acanthaceae Juss. 1 24. Brassicaceae Burnett 3 51. Pedaliaceae R. Br. 1 25. Malvaceae Juss. 1 52. Lamiaceae Martinov 9 26. Phyllanthaceae Martinov. 1 53. Asteraceae Bercht. & J. Presl 4 27. Ericaceae Juss. 2 Among the herbal raw materials, fruits, roots, herbs, oils, leaves and rhizomes are usually used in the analysed group of preparations, while fruiting bodies, tubers, and others. are used the least often (Fig. 5). Fig. 5. The comparison of the number of occurrences of various types of herbal raw materials in the analysed preparations Discussion Phytotherapy supporting the treatment of Lyme disease Early diagnosis of Lyme disease increases the chance of its complete recovery (Hinckley et al., 2014). When it is not possible to get a diagnosis early enough, the disease begins to pass into various forms that are difficult to treat and very debilitating for the body. Therefore, in later supportive therapies, herbal medicine is often used to help the body weakened by antibiotics (Buhner, 2005, 2015a, b; Cianciara, Juszczyk, 2012; Smoleńska et al., 2016; Feng 9 et al., 2020). Herbal regimens to support the treatment of Lyme disease include various protocols. Below are three examples of herbal protocols to support the treatment of Lyme disease. The Buhner protocol is a herbal supportive therapy known all over the world, while the protocols of Oruba and Różański are known mainly in Poland. When describing these three selected herbal protocols, it should be noted that there are no clinically proven studies of their effectiveness so far. Stephen Harrod Buhner is one of the most famous American herbalists. He is the author of many books on herbal medicine and Lyme disease (e.g. Buhner, 2005, 2015a, b). According to him, herbal therapy is a very good substitute for synthetic drugs used in the treatment and elimination of the effects of Lyme disease (however, this is not clinically proven). The Buhner procedure is divided into basic protocol and extended protocol. The basic protocol consists of three herbs: Reynoutria japonica, Uncaria tomentosa, and Andrographis paniculata. The extended protocol covers five medicinal species: Stephania tetrandra, Eleutherococcus senticosus, Astragalus mongholicus, Dipsacus sylvestris, Smilax officinalis. In his books, Buhner describes exact instructions for taking and combining herbs with each other in order to obtain the best therapeutic effects (Buhner, 2015a, b). Jan Oruba, Polish herbalist and author of the protocol supporting the treatment of Lyme disease with liposomal herbs (liposomes are very small, water-lipid structures in the shape of a sphere/vesicle; discovered in the 1960s by the haematologist and biophysicist Alec Bangham). They are carriers of active compounds from herbs or oils and are the safest form of delivering these substances to the body. According to Oruba, there is no one specific herb that treats Lyme disease, as Lyme disease can present differently in everyone and involve multiple systems. His supporting therapy consists of using of liposomal herbs, selected according to the dominant symptoms, characteristic of Lyme disease, babesiosis, bartonella, mycoplasma. According to Oruba, our immune system is able to prioritise itself and choose the dominant infection that is the greatest threat to it at a given moment (Oruba, 2018). Henryk Różański is a long-term Polish scholarship holder of the Swiss Büchner Foundation (1993-2000), the author of many publications in the field of botany, phytopharmacology, phytotoxicology, and pharmaceutical biology (e.g. Różański, H., Petryja, 2021, 2022). According to Różański, herbs supporting the treatment of Lyme disease are divided into basic ones (Uncaria tomentosa, Dipsacus sylvestris), immunising (mud extracts, Aloe sp., Nigella sativa L. oil, Artemisia absinthium L., Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench root and herb, E. pallida (Nutt.) Nutt. and E. angustifolia DC.), anti-inflammatory (Harpagophytum procumbens root, Melampyrum sp. herb, Rhinanthus alectorolophus herb 10 (Scop.) Pollich and R. serotinus (Schönh.) Oborný), Odontites verna herb (Bellardi) Dumort., Angelica archangelica root combined with Filipendula ulmaria flower, buds or bark Populus alba L., P. nigra L. or P. ×canescens (Aiton) Sm., P. tremula L. and the bark of Salix alba L. or S. purpurea L.), antibacterial/disinfectant (bark, twigs, buds and leaves of Padus avium Mill., herb and root of Sanguisorba officinalis and S. minor Scop., rhizome of Curcuma longa L. and flower and herb of Tanacetum vulgare L.). They should be used in the right order to get the best phytotherapy results. Herbal preparations commercially available During the collection of materials for this study, most preparations were obtained via the Internet and in herbal shops. However, in most pharmacies, pharmacists recommended only dried herbs from Cistus sp. for brewing, and this was usually the end of the commercial offer of preparations supplementing the treatment of Lyme disease. Many species are traditionally used in this type of supporting therapy (Tokarski, Denys, 2018), although their effects are not fully confirmed (Tab. 4; Fig. 6 – Appendix 2). Tab. 4. Plants supporting the Lyme disease treatment cycle and completed antibiotic therapy No. Latin name Common name 1. Andrographis paniculata creat, green, chiretta 2. Astragalus mongholicus Mongolian milkvetch 3. Cistus creticus pink rock-rose, hoary rock-rose 4. C. ×incanus hoary rock-rose 6. Dipsacus silvestris wild teasel, fuller’s teasel 7. Eleutherococcus senticosus devil’s bush, Siberian ginseng, eleuthero 12. Reynoutria japonica Japanese knotweed, Asian knotweed 13. Rhodiola rosea golden root, rose root, roseroot 14. Scutellaria baicalensis Baikal skullcap, Chinese skullcap 15. Smilax officinalis Sarsaparilla plant 16. Stephania tetrandra, S. cepharantha Fen Fang Ji 17. Uncaria tomentosa, U. rhynchophylla cat’s claw, uña de gato, fish hook vine You can buy both ready-made preparations in various forms, from various raw materials (Fig. 2, 5), as well as books with recipes for individual forms of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases. In some shops, it is also possible to order mixtures created on the spot for specific symptoms of this disease. In the analysed 77 preparations, as many as 101 plants and one species of fungus were recorded (Tab. 2 – Appendix 1). Most of the tested preparations contain species described in the Buhner Protocol (Buhner, 2005, 2015a, b) and plants with a general effect, supporting the 11 proper functioning of the body. The most common plants are Reynoutria japonica, Dipsacus sylvestris, Cistus ×incanus oraz Uncaria tomentosa (Fig.3.). The first two species belong to the ingredients obtained in Europe easily from the wild, which certainly affects the lower price and better quality of their raw materials. In addition, these plants have a proven effect against Lyme spirochetes (in cell line studies), and this determines the effectiveness of preparations based on them. For example, ethanol extracts from Reynoutria japonica show strong activity against the growing B. burgdorferi as well as its non-growing stationary phase (Feng et al., 2020). The main active ingredient of R. japonica is the polyphenol – resveratrol, which, according to Goc and Rath (2016), has a bacteriostatic and bactericidal effect against Borrelia sp. spirochetes. However, it is less effective against rounded forms and has no significant effect against biofilm. Another active ingredient here is Emodin (6-methyl-1,3,8- trihydroxyanthraquinone), which has documented activity against B. burgdorferi stationary phase cells (Feng et al., 2015). R. japonica eliminates the symptoms of this disease in most people (Buhner, 2015a, b), and has the closest effect to the cytokine dynamics caused by Lyme bacteria. In herbal medicine, it is most often found as an ingredient in capsules, but also as a powdered root, dried leaves, dried rhizomes and in the form of tinctures. It grows naturally in Japan, Taiwan, China and Korea (Tab. 2 – Appendix 1). It was brought to Europe, where it spread quickly and is now considered an invasive plant (Chmura et al., 2013). Liebold et al. (2011) showed that ethyl acetate and dichloromethane extracts from the roots of Dipsacus sylvestris, of lipophilic nature, have an inhibitory effect on B. burgdorferi, while the hydroethanolic extract does not inhibit the growth of spirochetes. According to Saar-Reisma et al. (2022), extracts from D. sylvestris leaves also show activity against B. burgdorferi. However, due to their cytotoxicity, the authors indicated the need to isolate the most active and less cytotoxic fractions. They also found that the highest cytotoxicity came from polyphenols. The iridoid-glycoside fraction, containing two main bioactive substances – sylvestrosides III and IV, has reduced cytotoxicity and an effective effect against Borrelia in the stationary phase. Cistus ×incanus, on the other hand, has anti-inflammatory effects, inhibits the growth of Lyme spirochetes, and its regular consumption helps the body produce a smell that is repellent to ticks (Buhner, 2015a, b). It is found in Europe and Asia Minor (Tab. 2 – Appendix 1). Other species of the genus Cistus, e.g. C. creticus L., also have an inhibitory effect on the proliferation of Borrelia (Hutschenreuther et al., 2010). Two other species – Uncaria tomentosa and Cryptolepis sanguinolenta are foreign plants in Europe, whose herbal raw material is imported. U. tomentosa is the strongest immunostimulating herb used in Lyme 12 disease and its co-infections. It increases the amount of CD57 leukocytes, which are crucial in the body’s fight against Lyme disease. It soothes muscle and joint pain and inflammation. According to Feng et al. (2020), U. tomentosa shows strong activity against non-growing B. burgdorferi stationary phase cells and weaker activity against growing ones. It naturally occurs in Central and South America and the Caribbean (Tab. 2 – Appendix 1). In herbal medicine, it is mainly used in tablets, powders, infusions and tinctures. Native to Africa, Cryptolepis sanguinolenta has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, antiamoeba and antimalarial properties. Includes, e.g. the alkaloid cryptolepine, with bactericidal and bacteriostatic properties (Paulo, Gomes 1995; Osafo et al., 2017). Cryptolepin causes morphological changes and cell lysis as well as DNA intercalation and inhibition of poisomerase II. It shows strong activity against B. burgdorferi and is also highly effective against even its aggregated forms (Feng et al., 2020). Despite the proven effectiveness, this species was found in only two of the studied preparations (Tab. 2 – Appendix 1). Other plant species, showing according to Feng et al. (2020) strong activity against B. burgdorferi, are also present in a few analysed preparations: Juglans nigra in one, Artemisia annua in three, and Scutellaria baicalensis in five. Most species belong to the Rosaceae and Lamiaceae families (Tab. 3). These are families rich in common species and well-documented in European native flora (Mederska, 2021; Mederska, Mederski, 2021). On the other hand, it seems very interesting that in the analysed group of preparations, there are also quite often species from families that are not very representative or completely exotic in Central Europe flora, e.g. Myrtaceae, Rutaceae, Zingiberaceae, Combretaceae. Lyme disease is still poorly understood, as are the properties of many plant species. Not all plants supporting the treatment cycle and completed antibiotic therapy have a confirmed effect in this respect, as mentioned earlier. Producers of preparations willingly use plant materials used in traditional Far Eastern medicine (Fig. 4), although they are not sure about their effectiveness in this disease. The addition of raw materials known in the Far East also greatly affects the commercial attractiveness of the products offered, because people prefer natural traditional herbal medicine (Anczyk, 2021). A somewhat similar explanation may apply to a very large group of species native or cultivated in Europe, which have been recorded here, e.g. garlic, onion, pine, horsetail, currant, cabbage, apple tree, rose, elderberry, hawthorn, etc. (Tab. 2 – Appendix 1 ). Many of them have a general-strengthening effect, and some simply improve the functioning of the immune system (Van Wyk, Wink, 2017; Bigoś, 2019). These premises are already recognised by producers of herbal preparations as a sufficient reason for their use in Lyme disease 13 supplements. For example, Thompson et al. (2023) analysed 18 herbs commonly used by patients to treat Lyme disease symptoms, seven of which had proven in vitro activity against B. burgdorferi, thirteen of which had proven in vitro antimicrobial activity, and 15 had documented anti-inflammatory properties. Therefore, when buying herbal preparations that relieve the symptoms of Lyme disease, it is worth checking their composition for the presence of species with proven therapeutic properties (at least in cell line studies), such as herbs from the basic or extended Buhner protocol. Many dishonest manufacturers, taking advantage of the poor knowledge of the average citizen about this disease, will unfortunately continue to offer supplements with poor healing properties. Therefore, in addition to prophylaxis (Nowak-Chmura, Siuda, 2012; Sinski, Welc-Faleciak, 2012; Nieto et al., 2018; Hussain, 2021), the effectiveness of Lyme disease detection and thorough examination of the course of the disease itself (Hinckley et al., 2014), it is also worth promoting the knowledge already existing in this area about its herbal supplementation (Feng et al., 2017; Feng et al., 2020). However, it should always be remembered that so far the only effective and clinically proven method of treating Lyme disease is antibiotic therapy. Conclusions Summing up the whole analysis, the following conclusions can be drawn: [1] herbal preparations used in Lyme disease supplementation usually have the form of capsules, herbs for infusion or extract, and the most commonly used raw materials are fruit, root, herb, oil, leaf; [2] the species most commonly used in the preparations are Reynoutria japonica, Dipsacus sylvestris, Cistus ×incanus and Uncaria tomentosa – other species from the Buhner protocol are also quite common (most preparations contained at least one of the ingredients from this group); [3] many plants contained in the preparations have an effect that generally supports the proper functioning of the body or targets a specific form of this disease; [4] most species belong to the Rosaceae and Lamiaceae families; representatives of other families appear quite often: Myrtaceae, Rutaceae, Zingiberaceae, Combretaceae; [5] the most of species used in Lyme disease supplementation come from Asia, Europe and Africa. Alphabetical list of Polish trade names of 77 analysed preparations: Andrographis – magiczny ogród, Andrographis 10% Ekstrakt, Andrographis Paniculata nalewka – Nanga, Andrographis Paniculata ziele cięte – Nanga, Astragalus Root – Swanson, Bolleriocaps – Herbapol, Bolleriofix – Herbapol, Borelfix – Herbarium św. Franciszka, Borelia Med – Berg Life, Borelio herbs – Inwent Herbs, Borelio mieszanka ziołowa, Boreliol, Borelioza max, BorelissPro, Borelix forte – Produkty Bonifraterskie, Borellvit, 14 Borelyma – Herbal Monasterium, Borrelia protect extra, Borreliosis tea – Everest ayuverda, Cat’s Claw Koci Pazur – Swanson, Cryptolepis – Magiczny ogród, Czystek – sekrety zielnika, Czystek Altermedica laboratories, Czystek fix – zielnik apteczny, Czystek kreteński – Magiczny ogród, Czystek – Natura Wita, EKO czystek liść – Natura Wita, Eleuthero Ginseng Royal Jelly, Kłącze rdestowca japońskiego – Flos, Koci Pazur (Vilcacora) – rozdrobniona kora, Korzeń szczeci – Flos, Liposomalny rdest japoński, Lyme Protector, Maść arnikowa elissa, Maść szałwiowa elissa, Mielona Ashwagandha, Nanobab – B&M, Nanobarto – B&M, Nanoborrel – B&M, Nanomyko – B&M, Now Foods Andrographis Extract, Now Foods Black Walnut Hulls, Now Foods Cat’s Claw Koci Pazur, OEPAROL – Adamed, Olejek z drzewa herbacianego – Herbapol, OptiBorelia, Probio Borelio, Rdest japoński – B&M Research, Rdestowiec – Magiczny ogród, Rdestowiec 500+ Nanga suplements, Rdestowiec japoński kłącze cięte – Nanga, Rdestowiec japoński kłącze – Herbapol, Rdestowiec japoński kłącze mielone – Nanga, Rdestowiec japoński korzeń mielony – Plantago, Rdestowiec japoński liść, Rdestowiec japoński liść – Nanga, Rdestowiec japoński susz – Astron, Rdestowiec japoński ziele suszone – Dary Podlasia, Resweratrol – Medica Herbs, Rhodiola – Magiczny ogród, Sarsaparilla 400, Sarsaparilla Root – Swanson, Stephania – Magiczny ogród, Stop Borelia herbatka ziołowa, Szczeć – Altermedica laboratories, Szczeć pospolita kapsułki – Futunatura, Szczeć pospolita kapsułki – Medica herbs, Szczeć pospolita korzeń – Natura wita, Tarczyca bajkalska – Magiczny ogród, Traganek – Magiczny ogród, Yango Borrelin, Yango czystek, Yango szczeć, Zimnotłoczony olej z nasion wiesiołka – Gal, Żeń-szeń syberyjski – korzeń cięty, Żeń-szeń syberyjski – Magiczny ogród, Żeń-szeń syberyjski 400. 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List of all taxa (fungi, horsetails, gymnosperms and angiosperms: monocotyledonous, dicotyledonous) used as support in the treatment of Lyme disease and improving immunity No. Family, Latin name of a plant/fungus Origin Herbal raw material Polish trade names of medicinal preparations Polyporaceae Fr. ex Corda 1. Trametes versicolor (L.) Lloyd cosmopolitan Fungus Trametes Lyme Protector Equisetaceae Michx. ex DC. 2. Equisetum arvense L. cosmopolitan Equiseti herba Probio Borelio Pinaceae Spreng. ex F. Rudolphi 3. Cedrus atlantica (Endl.) G. Manetti ex Carrière North Africa Oleum cedri Nanobarto – B&M 4. Pinus sylvestris L. Europe, Northern zone of Asia Folium et gemma Pini Borelfix – Herbarium św. Franciszka; Borelioza max Asparagaceae Juss. 5. Asparagus officinalis L. Mediterranean area, Western Siberia Rhizoma Asparagi BorelissPro Amaryllidaceae J. St.-Hil. 6. Allium cepa L. West Asia Allium cepa folium BorelissPro 7. A. sativum L. Central Asia Allii sativi bulbus BorelissPro; Borelioza max; OptiBorelia; Probio Borelio; Yango Borrelin Smilacaceae Vent. 8. Smilax officinalis Kunth Central America and Northwest part of South America Smilax officinalis Radix/Radix sarsaparillae Borelio mieszanka ziołowa; Borelix forte – Produkty Bonifraterskie; Borrelia protect extra; Sarsaparilla 400; Sarsaparilla Root – Swanson Zingiberaceae Martinov 9. Curcuma longa L. India, Malaysia Curcumae longae rhizoma Borreliosis tea – Everest ayuverda; Nanobab – B&M; Probio Borelio 10. C. zedoaria (Christm.) Roscoe South-East Asia Rhizoma Zedoariae Nanobab – B&M 11. Hedychium spicatum Buch.-Ham. ex Sm. China, Himalayas, Burma, Ethiopia, Thailand Hedychium spicatum rhizoma Nanoborrel – B&M http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q536945 http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q458004 19 12. Zingiber officinale Rosc. Malaysia, India Zingiberis rhizoma Probio Borelio Bromeliaceae Juss. 13. Ananas comosus (L.) Merr Brazil Ananas comosus fructus BorelissPro Poaceae Barnhart (Gramineae) Juss. 14. Cymbopogon citratus Stapf India Cymbopogon citratus Folium Borelfix – Herbarium św. Franciszka 15. C. flexuosus (Nees ex Steud.) W.Watson India, Sri Lanka, Burma, and Thailand Oleum Cymbopogon flexuosus Nanobab – B&M 16. C. martinii (Roxb.) W.Watson India and Indochina Oleum Cymbopogoni martinii Nanobarto – B&M 17. C. winterianus Jowitt ex Bor western Malesia Oleum cytronellae indicum Nanoborrel – B&M 18. Triticum vulgare L. cosmopolitan Triticum vulgaris germen BorelissPro Annonaceae Juss. 19. Cananga odorata (Lam.) Hook.f. & Thom. South-East Asia Oleum Cananga odorata Nanobab – B&M Menispermaceae Juss. 20. Stephania tetrandra S.More China and Taiwan Radix Stephaniae tetrandrine Stephania – magiczny ogród 21. Tinospora cordifolia (Willd.) Hook. f. & Thom. Indian subcontinent Tinospora cordifolia radix and stipula Borreliosis tea – Everest ayuverda Berberidaceae Juss. 22. Berberis thunbergii DC. Japan and eastern Asia Radix Berberidis Borelioza max Papaveraceae Juss. 23. Chelidonium majus L. Eurasia Chelidonii herba Borelioza max Lauraceae Juss. 1789 24. Cinnamomum verum J.Presl Sri Lanka Cinnamomi cortex Nanoborrel – B&M 20 25. Litsea cubeba Pers. Southern China Oleum Litsea cubeba Nanoborrel – B&M Piperaceae Giseke 26. Piper nigrum L. Malabar Coast (India) Fructus Piperis nigri Borellvit; Probio Borelio Juglandaceae DC. 27. Juglans nigra L. North America Pericarpium Juglandis NOW FOODS Black Walnut Hulls Urticaceae Juss. 28. Urtica dioica L. Eurasia, North Africa, North and South America Herba Utricae dioicae Czystek – sekrety zielnika Polygonaceae Juss. 29. Polygonum aviculare L. cosmopolitan Polygoni avicularis herba Probio Borelio 30. Reynoutria japonica Houtt. South-East Asia Polygoni cuspidati rhizoma et radix Bolleriocaps – Herbapol; Borelia Med – Berg Life; Borelio herbs – Inwent Herbs; Borelio mieszanka ziołowa; Boreliol; Borelioza max; BorelissPro; Borelix forte – Produkty Bonifraterskie; Borellvit; Borelyma – Herbal Monasterium; Borrelia protect extra; Kłącze rdestowca japońskiego – Flos; Liposomalny rdest japoński; OptiBorelia; Rdest japoński – B&M Research; Rdestowiec – magiczny ogród; Rdestowiec 500+ Nanga suplements; Rdestowiec japoński kłącze cięte – Nanga; Rdestowiec japoński kłącze – Herbapol; Rdestowiec japoński kłącze mielone – Nanga; Rdestowiec japoński korzeń mielony – Plantago; Rdestowiec Japoński liść; Rdestowiec japoński liść – Nanga; Rdestowiec japoński susz – Astron; Rdestowiec japoński ziele suszone – Dary Podlasia; Yango Borrelin Theaceae Mirb. ex Ker Gawl. 31. Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze South-East Asia Folium Theae BorelissPro; Lyme Protector Cistaceae Juss. 32. Cistus creticus L. North Africa, West Asia, South and East Europe Cistus creticus Herba Borelfix – Herbarium św. Franciszka; Borrelia protect extra; Czystek kreteński – Magiczny ogród; Lyme Protector; Yango Borrelin; Yango czystek 33. C. ×incanus L. hybrids Cistus folium/ herba/ oleum Bolleriocaps – Herbapol; Bolleriofix – Herbapol; Borelia Med – Berg Life; Borelio herbs – Inwent Herbs; Borelio mieszanka ziołowa; BorelissPro, Borelix forte – Produkty Bonifraterskie; Borelyma – Herbal Monasterium; Czystek – sekrety zielnika; Czystek altermedica 21 laboratories; Czystek fix – zielnik apteczny; Czystek – Natura Wita; EKO czystek liść – Natura Wita; OptiBorelia; Probio Borelio; Stop Borelia herbatka ziołowa Moringaceae Martinov. 34. Moringa oleifera Lam. Indian subcontinent Moringa herba Probio Borelio Caricaceae Dumort. 35. Carica papaya L. South America, South regions of North America Fructus Caricae BorelissPro Cucurbitaceae Juss. 36. Cucumis sativus L. India, South China Cucumis sativus fructus BorelissPro Brassicaceae Burnett 37. Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata (L.) Duchesne Europe, cultivar Brassicae oleraceae Folium BorelissPro 38. B. oleracea L. var. italica Plenck Europe, cultivar Brassica oleracea Inflorescentia BorelissPro 39. Isatis tinctoria L. Southeast Europe, West Asia Isatidis radix Nanomyko – B&M Malvaceae Juss. 40. Hibiscus syriacus L. Korea, south-central, southeast China, India Flos Hibisci syriacus Bolleriofix – Herbapol; Czystek – sekrety zielnika Phyllanthaceae Martinov. 41. Phyllanthus emblica L. South Asia Emblica officinalis fructus Borreliosis tea – Everest ayuverda Ericaceae Juss. 42. Gaultheria procumbens L. Northeastern North America Oleum Gaultheriae Nanoborrel – B&M 43. Vaccinium myrtillus L. Asia, Europe, North America Fructus Vaccinii BorelissPro Rosaceae Juss. 44. Armeniaca vulgaris Lam. Central Asia Armeniacae fructus BorelissPro 45. Aronia melanocarpa (Michx.) Elliott Eastern North America Aroniae fructus Bolleriofix – Herbapol 46. Cerasus avium (L.) Moench Europe, Western Asia, Asia Minor Pruni aviae Fructus BorelissPro 47. Crataegus sp. temperate zone of the Crataegi fructus Probio Borelio 22 northern hemisphere 48. Filipendula ulmaria (L.) Maxim. Asia, Northern and Central Europe Filipendulae ulmariae herba Borelioza max 49. Fragaria ×ananasa Duchesne hybrids Fructus Fragariae ananssae BorelissPro 50. Malus sylvestris (L.) Mill. Europe Fructus Malus sylvestris BorelissPro 51. Rosa canina L. Europe, North Africa, Asia Minor Fructus Rosae Bolleriofix – Herbapol; Czystek – sekrety zielnika Hydrangeaceae Dumort. 52. Hydrangea febrifuga (Lour.) Y.De Smet & C.Granados Asia? Radix Dichroae Nanobab – B&M Crassulaceae J. St.-Hil. 53. Rhodiola rosea L. North America, Europe, Asia Rhodiolae roseae rhizoma cum radicibus Rhodiola – Magiczny ogród Saxifragaceae Juss. 54. Ribes nigrum L. Europe, Asia Fructus Ribis nigri Bolleriofix – Herbapol; BorelissPro Fabaceae Lindl. (Leguminosae Juss., Papilionaceae Giseke) 55. Astragalus mongholicus Bunge temperate Asia Radix Astragali Borellvit; Lyme Protector; Traganek – Magiczny ogród; Astragalus Root – Swanson 56. Glycyrrhiza glabra L. South-East Europe, Asia Minor Liquiritiae radix Borreliosis tea – Everest ayuverda 57. Pterocarpus marsupium Roxb. India, Nepal, Sri Lanka Pterocarpus marsupium herba Borreliosis tea – Everest ayuverda Rutaceae Juss. 58. Citrus bergamia Risso (Risso) & Poit. unknown Oleum Citrus bergamia Nanomyko – B&M 59. C. ×paradisi Macfad. hybrids Citrus paradisi Fructus BorelissPro 60. C. ×sinensis (L.) Osbeck hybrids Fructus Citrus sinensis BorelissPro 61. Phellodendron amurense Rupr. Eastern Asia Cortex Phellodendri Nanobab – B&M; Nanomyko – B&M http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q729917 http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q36706980 http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q36706980 http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q23649298 23 Geraniaceae Juss. 62. Pelargonium sidoides DC. South Africa Pelargonii radix Borelix forte – Produkty Bonifraterskie Polygalaceae Hoffmanns. & Link 63. Polygala tenuifolia Willd. Asia Radix Polygalae Nanobarto – B&M Combretaceae R. Br. 64. Terminalia arjuna (Roxb. ex DC.) Wight & Arn. Indian Subcontinent Terminaliae arjunae cortex Borreliosis tea – Everest ayuverda 65. T. bellirica (Gaertn.) Roxb. South and south-west Asia Terminalia bellirica fructus Borreliosis tea – Everest ayuverda 66. T. chebula Retz. South Asia Fructus Chebulae Borreliosis tea – Everest ayuverda Onagraceae Juss. (Oenotheraceae C. C. Robin) 67. Oenothera biennis L. North America Oleum Oenotherae OEPAROL – Adamed; Zimnotłoczony olej z nasion wiesiołka – Gal Myrtaceae Juss. 68. Eucalyptus globulus Labill. South-eastern Australia Eucalypti folium Nanomyko – B&M 69. Melaleuca alternifolia Cheel Australia Melaleucae aetheroleum Nanomyko – B&M; Olejek z drzewa herbacianego herbapol 70. M. viridiflora Sol. ex Gaertn. Northern Australia, New Guinea Oleum Melaleuca viridiflora Nanobab – B&M; Nanoborrel – B&M 71. Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. & Perry Moluccas (Indonesia) Oleum caryophylli Nanobarto – B&M Zygophyllaceae R. Br. 72. Tribulus terrestris L. Southern Eurasia and North Africa Tribulus terrestris herba et fructus Borreliosis tea – Everest ayuverda Araliaceae Juss. 73. Eleutherococcus senticosus Maxim. East Asia, China, Japan, Russia Eleutherococci radix Borelio herbs – Inwent Herbs; Borelix forte – Produkty Bonifraterskie; Borellvit; Borrelia protect extra; Eleuthero Ginseng Royal Jelly; Probio Borelio; Żeń-szeń syberyjski – korzeń cięty; Żeń-szeń syberyjski – magiczny ogród; Żeń-szeń syberyjski 400 Apiaceae Lindl. (Umbelliferae Juss.) 74. Angelica archangelica L. Eurasia Angelicae archangelicae radix Probio Borelio 75. A. dahurica (Hoffm.) Benth. & Hook.f. ex Franch. & Sav. Siberia, Russia Far East, Mongolia, north- eastern China, Japan, Radix Angelicae dahuricae Nanomyko – B&M 24 Korea, Taiwan 76. Centella asiatica (L.) Urb. Africa, Asia, Australia, islands in the western Pacific Ocean Centellae asiaticae herba Borreliosis tea – Everest ayuverda 77. Daucus carota L. Eurasia, South Africa Daucus carota radix BorelissPro Vitaceae Juss. 78. Vitis vinifera L. Mediterranean region, Central Europe, South- western Asia Fructus Vitis veniferae, Vitis vinifera Semen BorelissPro; Yango Borrelin Santalaceae R. Br. 79. Santalum album L. Indian Subcontinent Oleum Santali Borreliosis tea – Everest ayuverda Oleaceae Hoffmanns. & Link 80. Olea europaea L. Mediterranean Basin (Europe, Asia, Africa) Olea europaea fructus BorelissPro Apocynaceae Juss. 81. Cryptolepis sanguinolenta (Lindl.) Schltr., C. dubia (Burm.f.) M.R.Almeida Africa; South, Southeast Asia Radix Cryptolepis sanguinolentae Cryptolepis – Magiczny ogród; Nanobab – B&M Rubiaceae Juss. 82. Galium aparine L. cosmopolitan Herba Galii aparinis Borelioza max 83. Uncaria tomentosa DC. South and Central America, Caribbean Uncariae tomentosae cortex Borelia Med – Berg Life; Bolleriocaps – Herbapol; Borelio herbs – Inwent Herbs; Borelio mieszanka ziołowa; Boreliol; Borelioza max; Borelix forte – Produkty Bonifraterskie; Borellvit; Borelyma – Herbal Monasterium; Borrelia protect extra; Cat’s Claw Koci Pazur – Swanson; Koci Pazur (vilcacora) – rozdrobniona kora; Now Foods Cat’s Claw Koci Pazur; OptiBorelia; Probio Borelio; Yango Borrelin Adoxaceae E. Mey. 84. Sambucus nigra L. Europe Flos Sambuci Probio Borelio Dipsacaceae Juss. 85. Dipsacus sylvestris Huds. Europe, West Asia, South Africa Dipsacus fullonum Radix Bolleriofix – Herbapol; Borelfix – Herbarium św. Franciszka; Borelia Med -Berg Life; Borelio herbs – Inwent Herbs; Borelio mieszanka ziołowa; Borelix forte – Produkty Bonifraterskie; Borellvit; OptiBorelia; Probio Borelio Stop Borelia herbatka ziołowa; Szczeć – altermedica laboratories; Szczeć 25 pospolita korzeń – Natura Wita; Bolleriocaps – Herbapol; Borelioza max; BorelissPro; Borelyma – Herbal Monasterium; Korzeń szczeci – Flos; Szczeć pospolita kapsułki – futunatura; Szczeć pospolita kapsułki – Medica herbs; Yango szczeć; Yango Borrelin Solanaceae Juss. 86. Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. Peru, Ecuador (South America) Lycopersicon esculentum fructus BorelissPro 87. Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal Africa, Asia Radix et fructus Withaniae Borelix forte – Produkty Bonifraterskie; Borelyma – Herbal Monasterium; Borreliosis tea – Everest ayuverda; Mielona Ashwagandha Acanthaceae Juss. 88. Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Wall. India, Sri Lanka Herba Andrographitis Andrographis – Magiczny ogród; Andrographis 10% Ekstrakt; Andrographis paniculata nalewka – Nanga; Andrographis paniculata ziele cięte – Nanga; Bolleriocaps – Herbapol; Borelia Med – Berg Life; Borelio mieszanka ziołowa; Boreliol; Borelix forte – Produkty Bonifraterskie; Borelyma – Herbal Monasterium; Borrelia protect extra; Borreliosis tea – Everest ayuverda; Lyme Protector; Now Foods Andrographis Extract; OptiBorelia Pedaliaceae R. Br. 89. Harpagophytum procumbens DC. ex Meisn. Southern Africa Harpagophyti radix Probio Borelio Lamiaceae Martinov (Labiatae Juss.) 90. Betonica officinalis L. Europe, western Asia, northern Africa Betonicae herba Borelfix – Herbarium św. Franciszka 91. Mentha ×citrata Ehrh. hybrids Menthae citratae folium Nanomyko – B&M; Czystek – sekrety zielnika 92. Ocimum tenuiflorum L. Indian subcontinent Ocimum Sanctum folium Borreliosis tea – Everest ayuverda 93. Origanum vulgare L. Mediterranean Basin, Siberia, Himalayas Origani herba BorelissPro; Nanoborrel – B&M Probio Borelio; Yango Borrelin 94. Rosmarinus officinalis L. Mediterranean Basin Rosmarinus officinalis folium Borelfix – Herbarium św. Franciszka 95. Salvia officinalis L. Mediterranean Basin, Asia Minor, Syria Salviae folium Maść szałwiowa elissa 96. S. sclarea L. northern Mediterranean Basin, north Africa, Central Asia Oleum Salviae sclarea Nanobarto – B&M 97. Satureja montana L. southern Europe, the Satureja montana Nanoborrel – B&M 26 Mediterranean, Africa oleum 98. Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi China, Korea, Mongolia, Russian Far East, Siberia Radix Scutellariae baicalensis Bolleriocaps – Herbapol; Borelio mieszanka ziołowa; Nanoborrel – B&M OptiBorelia; Tarczyca bajkalska- magiczny ogród Asteraceae Bercht. & J. Presl (Compositae Giseke) 99. Arnica montana L. Europe Arnicae flos Maść arnikowa elissa 100. Artemisia annua L. southeastern Europe, western Asia Artemisiae annuae herba Borelioza max; Lyme Protector; Nanobarto – B&M 101. Solidago virgaurea L. s.str. Eurasia, North Africa Herba Solidaginis Borelioza max 102. Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni Brazil, Paraguay Steviae rebaudianae folium Nanoborrel – B&M 27 Appendix 2 Fig. 6. Selected plants traditionally used in the supporting treatment of Lyme disease: Andrographis paniculata – A, Astragalus mongholicus – B, Cistus creticus – C, C. ×incanus – D, Dipsacus silvestris – E, Eleutherococcus senticosus – F, Gaultheria procumbens – G, Harpagophytum procumbens – H, Rhodiola rosea – I, Juglans nigra – J, Reynoutria japonica – K, Scutellaria baicalensis – L, Stephania tetrandra – M, Uncaria tomentosa – N, U. rhynchophylla – O (Source: Public domen – https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Commons) 28 Rośliny wykorzystywane w leczeniu boreliozy Streszczenie Borelioza z Lyme jest chorobą bakteryjną przenoszoną przez kleszcze zakażone bakteriami z grupy Borrelia burgdorferi. Posiada nieswoiste objawy, takie jak: bóle głowy, gorączka, bóle mięśni, czy stawów, dlatego bywa często mylona z innymi chorobami. W jej przebiegu wyróżnia się 3 stadia: wczesne (rumień wędrujący), wczesne rozsiane (dolegliwości układu kostno-stawowego, ośrodkowego nerwowego) oraz późne (dolegliwości mięśniowo-szkieletowe, arytmia, jednostronne porażenie twarzy, stany zapalne mózgu, rdzenia kręgowego, ból e głowy itd.). Leczenie polega na antybiotykoterapii. Po zakończeniu leczenia, pacjenci mogą zastosować protokoły ziołolecznicze, które wspomagają organizm i mogą poprawić samopoczucie. Celem głównym tego opracowania było sporządzenie wykazu roślin wykorzystywanych we wspomaganiu terapii boreliozy po zakończonej antybiotykoterapii, w oparciu o preparaty ziołowe i suplementy diety występujące w sprzedaży bez recepty na terenie Polski. Analizie poddanych zostało 29 preparatów dostępnych stacjonarnie oraz 48 preparatów roślinnych dostępnych przez Internet (łącznie 77 leków i suplementów bez recepty). W składzie preparatów odnotowano 101 roślin i jeden gatunek grzyba. Wiele roślin wykorzystywanych w tego rodzaju fitoterapii wspomagającej, nie wykazuje bezpośredniego działania przeciwko krętkom boreliozy i posiada działanie ogólnie wspierające prawidłowe funkcjonowanie organizmu. Niektóre natomiast mają udowodnione właściwości bakteriobójcze (u większości nie zostało udowodnione bezpośrednie działanie w walce z boreliozą), wirusobójcze, wspierające prawidłowe działanie układu nerwowego oraz dostarczające wiele witamin i składników mineralnych potrzebnych dla zdrowia. Słowa kluczowe: Borrelia burgdorferi, fitoterapia wspomagająca, rośliny lecznicze, suplementacja ziołowa Received: [2023.06.08] Accepted: [2023.08.18]