#antibiotics

"A new study evaluated a low-cost yet effective way to combat bacterial resistance using curcumin–the natural yellow plant compound in turmeric.

In 2017, a tragic death in a Nevada hospital was linked to a new strain of bacteria that had developed a resistance to 26 different antibiotics. Called ‘superbugs’, such antibiotic-resistant bacteria (including MRSA) remains a pressing public health threat.

Now researchers at Texas A&M University have shown that curcumin, the compound that gives turmeric its characteristic bright yellow color, can be used to reduce this antibiotic resistance.

They showed that when curcumin is intentionally given to bacteria as food, and then activated by light, it can trigger deleterious reactions within these microbes, eventually killing them. They demonstrated that this process reduces the number of antibiotic-resistant strains and renders conventional antibiotics effective again.

The results of the study were published this week in the journal Scientific Reports.

“We need alternative ways to either kill the superbugs or find a novel way to modify natural processes within the bacteria so that antibiotics start to act again,” said Dr. Vanderlei Bagnato, professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and senior author on the study.

Photodynamic inactivation, a technique that has shown promise in combating bacterial resistance, uses light and light-sensitive molecules, called photosensitizers, to produce reactive oxygen species that can kill microorganisms by disrupting their metabolic processes.

In the new experiments, the team used curcumin, which is also a natural food for bacteria. They tested this technique on strains of Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) that are resistant to amoxicillin, erythromycin, and gentamicin.

The researchers exposed the bacteria to many cycles of light exposure and then compared the minimum concentration of antibiotics needed to kill the bacteria after light exposure versus those that did not get light exposure.

“When we have a mixed population of bacteria where some are resistant, we can use photodynamic inactivation to narrow the bacterial distribution, leaving behind strains that are more or less similar in their response to antibiotics,” Bagnato told Texas A&M News.

“It’s much easier now to predict the precise antibiotic dose needed to remove the infection.”

MORE PROGRESS ON SUPERBUGS: • The Humble Potato Could Hold Key to Beating Hospital Superbugs and Crop Diseases • Compounds in Amber Could Help Fight Drug-Resistant Bacteria Superbugs, Say Scientists • When Antibiotics Failed, She Found a Natural Enemy of the Superbug to Save Husband’s Life

The team noted that photodynamic inactivation using curcumin has tremendous potential as an adjuvant or additional therapy with antibiotics for diseases, like pneumonia, caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

“Photodynamic inactivation offers a cost-effective treatment option, which is crucial for reducing medical expenses not only in developing countries but also in the United States,” said Dr. Vladislav Yakovlev, professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and author on the study..."

New tactics in controlling infection are sorely needed, with antibiotic-resistant bacteria expected to claim as many as 2 million lives each year by 2050. US and Spanish researchers have now discovered at least some bacteria pay a steep price for their resistance – a cost that we may be able to exploit to fight infection. "We discovered an Achilles heel of antibiotic-resistant bacteria," says molecular biologist Gürol Süel from the University of California, San Diego.

Animal husbandry accounts for close to three-quarters of global use of antimicrobial medications and in many countries their use is poorly monitored. Some herds are routinely dosed and in many countries antimicrobials are used to increase the growth of animals bred for meat.

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1. Can globally essential mangroves bounce back from deforestation? New study gives hope

“[The study] found that unexpected expansion and regrowth across the world began counterbalancing mangrove forest loss around 2010. The rate of gain has nearly outpaced losses, resulting in about a cumulative 1% global decline since the 1980s. […] The study also found that mangroves are becoming less degraded […] which means they are denser, retain more carbon and help secure shorelines.”

2. Peptide alternative to antibiotics could combat antimicrobial resistance crisis

“The peptide is stable and nontoxic to humans and is synthesized to attack the surfaces of bacterial or fungal cells that create biofilms, a sticky matrix that is often impenetrable to antibiotic treatments. […] “Our peptide shredded bacterial biofilms, which cause up to 75% of life-threatening infections," Neelakantan explains. [… It] “not only rescues from devastating bacterial infections, but also reduces inflammation and promotes wound healing."”

3. Norwegian startup raises $6M to fix this sneaky source of energy waste

“[The new] software-enabled devices can dial down the use and temperatures of existing heating cables to reduce electricity demand [using precise sensors….] Nordic Pharma said it has seen a 20% drop in the cables’ energy consumption since installing Eqon’s devices, which have also helped to alert the manufacturer to potential problems, such as frozen pipes and over- or underheated oil, that can disrupt production.”

4. How a tiny blue gecko became a conservation comeback story

“The gecko (Lygodactylus williamsi) lives in only two small forest reserves […] and depends almost entirely on screwpines for shelter, food, basking and breeding. […] Since 2016, they have cut down nearly 100,000 [invasive] cedar trees, reduced forest fires by around 80%, and planted about 5,000 native trees a year. Those efforts are helping the gecko’s population return toward earlier levels [as well as] improving habitat for other wildlife[….]”

5. Amazon floodplains cocoa offers a climate-resilient and sustainable chocolate

“Protected and irrigated by the forest canopy of the floodplains, Elene’s cocoa is more resistant to […] a fungus that devastated Brazilian crops in the 1980s, as well as climate change impacts like droughts and heavy rains. [… The presence of] “abundant and diverse local pollinators […] improves reproduction and results in better-quality fruit, more resistant to disease, higher in quantity and superior in flavor.” [… Between 2000 and 2024] reforested cocoa areas expanded more than fourfold[….]”

From sharkieepuff's full animatic of Little Wolf