Scientists at the University of Surrey have discovered that a natural antioxidant commonly found in green tea can help eliminate antibiotic resistant bacteria.
The study, published in the Journal of Medical Microbiology, found that epigallocatechin (EGCG) can restore the activity of aztreonam, an antibiotic commonly used to treat infections caused by the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
P. aeruginosa is associated with serious respiratory tract and bloodstream infections and in recent years has become resistant to many major classes of antibiotics. Currently a combination of antibiotics is used to fight P. aeruginosa. However, these infections are becoming increasingly difficult to treat, as resistance to last line antibiotics is being observed.
To assess the synergy of EGCG and aztreonam, researchers conducted in vitro tests to analyse how they interacted with the P. aeruginosa, individually and in combination. The Surrey team found that the combination of aztreonam and EGCG was significantly more effective at reducing P. aeruginosa numbers than either agent alone.
This synergistic activity was also confirmed in vivo using Galleria mellonella (Greater Wax Moth larvae), with survival rates being significantly higher in those treated with the combination than those treated with EGCG or aztreonam alone. Furthermore, minimal to no toxicity was observed in human skin cells and in Galleria mellonella larvae.
Researchers believe that in P. aeruginosa, EGCG may facilitate increased uptake of aztreonam by increasing permeability in the bacteria. Another potential mechanism is EGCG’s interference with a biochemical pathway linked to antibiotic susceptibility.
Lead author Dr Jonathan Betts, Senior Research Fellow in the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Surrey, said: “Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a serious threat to global public health. Without effective antibiotics, the success of medical treatments will be compromised. We urgently need to develop novel antibiotics in the fight against AMR. Natural products such as EGCG, used in combination with currently licenced antibiotics, may be a way of improving their effectiveness and clinically useful lifespan.”
Professor Roberto La Ragione, Head of the Department of Pathology and Infectious Diseases in the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Surrey, said: “The World Health Organisation has listed antibiotic resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a critical threat to human health. We have shown that we can successfully eliminate such threats with the use of natural products, in combination with antibiotics already in use. Further development of these alternatives to antibiotics may allow them to be used in clinical settings in the future.”
Learn more: Green tea could hold the key to reducing antibiotic resistance
The Latest on: Antibiotic resistant bacteria
[google_news title=”” keyword=”antibiotic resistant bacteria” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Antibiotic resistant bacteria
- AI Model Shows Promise in Fighting Drug Resistanceon April 26, 2024 at 8:31 pm
As antibiotic resistance continues to pose a formidable challenge, AI-driven solutions offer a beacon of hope in the fight against drug-resistant pathogens.
- Breakthrough Vaccine Shows High Protection Against Drug-Resistant Superbug in Miceon April 26, 2024 at 4:03 pm
Scientists have developed a vaccine against a notorious drug-resistant superbug, targeting molecules on its surface that are also found on other bacteria and fungi.
- Experts develop way to harness CRISPR technology to deal with antimicrobial resistanceon April 26, 2024 at 3:10 pm
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is continuing to increase globally, with rates of AMR in most pathogens increasing and threatening a future in which every day medical procedures may no longer be ...
- Study: Antibiotic use in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 appears to have no beneficial effect on clinical outcomeson April 25, 2024 at 3:10 pm
Antibiotic treatment of adults hospitalized with moderate COVID-19 is associated with clinical deterioration, despite the drugs being given to over 40% of patients, according to new research being ...
- A Vaccine to Fight Antibiotic Resistanceon April 25, 2024 at 2:25 pm
MSU, Harvard Medical School team up to expand vaccine science’s role in the fight against MRSA and other infections ...
- Researchers develop vaccine to fight antibiotic resistanceon April 24, 2024 at 11:37 pm
Driven by the overuse of antimicrobials, pathogens are quickly building up resistances to once-successful treatments. It’s estimated that antimicrobial-resistant infections killed more than 1 million ...
- Study suggests spread of drug-resistant bacteria from people to natureon April 24, 2024 at 11:31 pm
A group of researchers at institutions including Japan's Hokkaido University says a study has found that drug-resistant bacteria may be spreading from human society to aquatic environments and ...
- Antibiotic resistance in babies varies according to mode of birth, prematurity and where they live, says analysison April 24, 2024 at 3:10 pm
A meta-analysis of genetic studies analyzing the microbiota (bacteria in the gut) of 1,275 infants from 10 countries finds that cesarean delivery and antibiotic use are driving the increase of ...
- F.D.A. Approves Antibiotic for Increasingly Hard-to-Treat Urinary Tract Infectionson April 24, 2024 at 1:45 pm
Pivmecillinam, which has been used in Europe for decades, will become available next year to women 18 and older.
- Antibiotic Breakthrough: Revolutionary Chinese Study Paves Way for Superbug Defeating Drugson April 23, 2024 at 2:43 pm
New research reveals that fluorous lipopetides act as highly effective antibiotics. Bacterial infections resistant to multiple drugs, which no existing antibiotics can treat, represent a significant ...
via Bing News