The study could open the door to further exploration in the development of new antibacterial treatments
Cranberries, which are widely recommended for treating urinary tract infections, could now give rise to a new antibiotic drug. Researchers at an American university have identified compounds in cranberry juice that fight E.coli bacteria, responsible for various infections.
Compounds in cranberry juice called flavonols have been found to greatly reduce the ability of E Coli bacteria to stick to cells in the body. Researchers now believe that this little red wonderberry could be used as the basis for new antibiotic drugs.
E Coli bacteria are naturally present in gut flora. However, certain strains are pathogenic and can cause gastroenteritis, gastritis and urinary infections (cystitis). A team of researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in the USA used advanced chemistry techniques to "fractionate" cranberry juice and identify its various chemical components.
They introduced cultured E.coli cells into samples of the fractionated juice and used an atomic force microscope to measure the bacteria's ability to bond to a surface. The aim was to identify the components present in cranberry juice that most strongly affect the ability of E.Coli bacteria to adhere.
The results identified a particular group of flavonols, called flavonol galactosides, with the strongest anti-adhesive powers. "We think the flavonols are part of the plant's defense system," explains researcher Catherine Neto, PhD. "They are secondary metabolites that are produced in greater concentrations when the plant is under stress or in the presence of pathogens."
According to the scientists, these organic molecules, associated with a wider group of antibacterial flavonoids called proanthocyanidins (found in chocolate and wine, for example), could make an effective antibiotic treatment to fight all forms of bacterial infection.
The scientists' work opens the door to further exploration in the development of new antibacterial treatments. This is particularly important as bacteria become increasingly resistant to current antibiotics.
According to figures from USA's Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), almost two million Americans are infected by drug-resistant bacteria each year and 23,000 people die from these infections.
A report from the British government, published May 19, estimates that between now and 2050, 10 million people worldwide will die each year from infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
The research was published in the journal Food & Function.
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