Cranberries may be new antibiotics
11 September 2006
by Richard Conan-Davies
Cranberry juice contains compounds that have the ability to change E. coli bacteria making them less able to stick to cells and cause infections. It may be particularly helpful in reducing urinary tract infections. Scientists at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) showed in their research that when exposed to Cranberry compunds called tannins, E.coli bacteria lose the ability to secrete indole, a molecule involved in a form of bacterial communication called quorum sensing. E. coli use quorum sensing to determine when there are enough bacteria present at a certain location to initiate a successful infection. "We are beginning to get a picture of cranberry juice and, in particular, the tannins found in cranberries as, potentially potent antibacterial agents," Terri Camesano explained that. "These results are surprising and intriguing, particularly given the increasing concern about the growing resistance of certain disease-causing bacteria to antibiotics." The team are presenting their results presented at an American Chemical Society Conference. |
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