New Molecule Found in Chestnut Leaves Disarms Dangerous Staph Bacteria
upstart writes:
New molecule found in chestnut leaves disarms dangerous staph bacteria:
Scientists have isolated a molecule, extracted from the leaves of the European chestnut tree, with the power to neutralize dangerous, drug-resistant staph bacteria. Frontiers in Pharmacology has published the finding, led by scientists at Emory University.
The researchers dubbed the molecule Castaneroxy A, after the genus of the European chestnut, Castanea. The use of chestnut leaves in traditional folk remedies in rural Italy inspired the research.
"We were able to isolate this molecule, new to science, that occurs only in very tiny quantities in the chestnut leaves," says Cassandra Quave, senior author of the paper and associate professor in Emory's Center for the Study of Human Health and the School of Medicine's Department of Dermatology. "We also showed how it disarms Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus by knocking out the bacteria's ability to produce toxins."
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) causes infections that are difficult to treat due to its resistance to antibiotics. It is one of the most serious infectious disease concerns worldwide, labeled as a "serious threat" by the Centers for the Disease Control and Prevention. In the United States alone, nearly 3 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur in the U.S. each year, killing more than 35,000 people.
Journal Reference:
Akram M. Salam, Gina Porras, Young-Saeng K. Cho, et al. Castaneroxy A From the Leaves of Castanea sativa Inhibits Virulence in Staphylococcus aureus, Frontiers in Pharmacology (DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.640179)
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