Powerful Molecule Against Superbugs Found in Chestnuts

COVID-19 pandemic emphasized the importance of immunity and a healthy diet among young people. The use of traditional medicines also gained importance during the pandemic time. A new research published in the journal Frontiers in Pharmacology revealed the anti-virulent property of chestnut in inhibiting the growth of Staphylococcus aureus.

Staphylococcus aureus is a bacterium that causes skin and bloodstream infections. This bacterium gained its popularity due to its drug-resistant capacity. This bacterium is widely called MRSA superbug (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus), as some strains have intense drug-resistant capacity.

Daptomycin Antibiotic Effective For Treating Pediatric Skin Infections
Daptomycin antibiotic found to be effective for the treatment of complicated skin infections caused by MRSA in children, reveals study.

‘Extracts of chestnuts cut off the communication between bacterial cells that help them in being toxic and causing skin infections. The triterpenoid groups of the plant work behind this and help repair skin faster.’

Tweet it Now

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared this bacterium a "serious threat" in 2019.

The path to discovery

Cassandra Quave, associate professor in Emory's Center for the Study of Human Health with her colleagues, discovered that the extracts of European or sweet chestnut trees help inhibit even the hyper-virulent MRSA strains that cause skin diseases in athletes. The extracts cut off the communications between those bacterial cells, a process known as quorum sensing. They published their findings back in 2015 regarding this powerful anti-bacterial value of chestnuts.

MRSA “Super bug” – Symptoms - Risk Factors – Diagnosis - Treatment
MRSA infection is the most dreaded hospital or community acquired infection that can become life-threatening.

For the current research, the team wanted to extract the particular component that helps inhibit the bacteria. The major problem they've faced is to extract the plant components for each of the chemical analyses. The process is laborious, and to automate this process via equipment, there will be a huge demand for money.

Marco Caputo, a research specialist in their lab, collaborated with them. He coupled the software device from a child's toy with some store-bought hardware components to build customized equipment that satisfies their needs.

Quiz on Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria can cause serious infections and are often difficult to treat. Here is a quiz on one such type of bacteria called MRSA.

"Our homemade piece of equipment really helped accelerate the pace of our discovery. We were able to isolate this molecule and derive pure crystals of it, even though it only makes up a mere .0019 percent of the chestnut leaves," said Quave.

Triterpenoids-The hidden heroes in chestnuts

Human Nose Yields New Antibiotic for Bacterial Infections
New bacteria from the human nose produces a new antibiotic compound ‘lugdunin’, for the treatment of MRSA infections.

Using the new feasible equipment, the team extracted and then chemically analyzed many compounds of the plant. Finally, they found that it was the cycloartane triterpenoid group that disables the virulence of MRSA strains.

Further analyses of the compounds revealed that 'Castaneroxy A' is the superactive molecule in this group. The team performed some tests on the skin of MRSA-infected mice and confirmed the efficacy of the molecule in fighting against the superbugs and healing the skin faster.

Quave concluded, "Instead of being overly concerned about treating the pathogen, we're focusing on ways to better treat the patient. Our goal is not to kill the microbes but to find ways to weaken them so that the immune system or antibiotics are better able to clear out an infection."

Source-Medindia