Rainforest plant combats multi-resistant bacterial strains

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://news.ku.dk/all_news/2012/2012.2/indian_medicine_combats_multi-resistant_bacterial_strains/

[font face=Times,Times New Roman,Serif]2012-02-20
[font size=5]Rainforest plant combats multi-resistant bacterial strains [/font]

[font size=4]Plant science — Aggressive infections in hospitals are an increasing health problem worldwide. The development of bacterial resistance is alarming. Now a young Danish scientist has found a natural substance in a Chilean rainforest plant that effectively supports the effect of traditional treatment with antibiotics.[/font]

[font size=3]PhD Jes Gitz Holler from the University of Copenhagen discovered in a research project a compound that targets a particular resistance mechanism in yellow staphylococci. The development of resistance in these specific bacteria is extremely rapid. Bacterial strains that do not respond to treatment have already been found in the USA and Greece.

"I have discovered a natural substance in a Chilean avocado plant that is active in combination treatment with traditional antibiotics. Resistant bacteria have an efflux pump in their bacterial membrane that efficiently pumps out antibiotics as soon as they have gained access. The identified natural substance inhibits the pumping action, so that the bacteria’s defence mechanisms are broken down and the antibiotic treatment allowed to work," explains Jes Gitz Holler.

Jes Gitz Holler gathered specimens of the plant, which comes from the Persea family, in Chile, where the Mapuche people use the leaves of the avocado plant to heal wounds. The results have been published in Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy.

[font size=4]Synthetic chemistry for sustainable production[/font]
The so-called MIC value is the lowest possible concentration of an antibiotic that inhibits the bacterial growth. With his compound from the medicine chest of the Mapuche people, Jes Gitz Holler can lower the MIC value by at least eight times:

…[/font][/font]

[kestrel91316]

1. "Yellow staphylococci" is vague and meaningless to me, and I have a degree in microbiology.

Perhaps they mean Staphylococcus aureus.

Genus and species names are there for a reason, journalists.

[OKIsItJustMe]

2. Sorry, forgot to link to the paper

For what it’s worth, what I posted was the press release. (i.e. this is before the journalists have had a chance to do their usual water muddying.)

[MineralMan]

3. A story from Denmark.

Lousy translation. I'm sure they mean S. aureus. Gold and yellow...aureus means gold.