This Floridian weed might be a superbug’s worst nightmare.
The red berries on the Brazilian peppertree contain an extract that could treat or prevent a deadly superbug, according to a new study.
Scientists at Emory University injected mice with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus MRSA — one of the most concerning drug-resistant superbugs — and the chemical compound from the peppertree slowed the growth of skin lesions.
The peppertree doesn’t kill the bacteria, but it stops those cells from communicating with each other, which stops the infection in its tracks.
“It essentially disarms the MRSA bacteria, preventing it from excreting the toxins it uses as weapons to damage tissues,” Cassandra Quave, a co-author of the study and assistant professor in Emory’s School of Medicine’s Department of Dermatology, said in a statement. “The body’s normal immune system then stands a better chance of healing a wound.”
The research team was inspired to take a closer look at the peppertree from traditional healers in the Amazon rainforest, who have used the plant to treat infections for hundreds of years. This discovery has the potential to spark an entirely different approach to how doctors treat infections.
Antibiotics, as a result of being wildly overused, are becoming more and more ineffective—and lethal pathogens are learning how to fight off the drugs. A 2014 report predicted that superbugs could kill 10 million people a year by 2050.
Our editors found this article on this site using Google and regenerated it for our readers.
