anti-microbial
in

Red algae-derived metal-polysaccharide shows promise for anti-microbial applications.

Créditos de las imagenes: BGU.

Red algae-derived metal-polysaccharide shows promise for anti-microbial applications because of its long and dense spikes.

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are becoming more and more of a concern as traditional sources of anti-microbial treatments become less effective.

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are a public health concern.

Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria become resistant to medications that would normally kill or slow down their growth.

This makes it harder to treat bacterial infections and can increase the risk of complications and the spread of diseases.

Antibiotic resistance is partially due to the overuse and misuse of antibiotics in human medicine and food production.

Addressing this problem requires a combination of measures such as more responsible use of antibiotics and the development of new therapies.

Therefore, researchers from Israel are looking farther afield for promising compounds to treat wounds and infections.

Prof. Shoshana (Mails) Arad and Prof. Ariel Kushmaro, Prof. Levi A. Gheber and PhD. student Nofar Yehuda joined a metal and a polysaccharide together and discovered the new compound worked well against bacteria and fungus (Candida albicans) because of the longer and denser spikes on its surface that poked holes in the membrane and killed off the bacteria and the fungus.

“A polysaccharide is a carbohydrate with linked sugar molecules and by adding a metal (Cu), we were able to create an effective new material,” according to the researchers.

The findings were published recently in the peer-reviewed journal Marine Drugs as the new compound is derived from marine red microalga Porphyridium sp.

Commercialization of these new compounds could come sooner rather than later.

“In light of the increased resistance to antibiotic and antifungal agents, there is a growing need for the development of new and improved treatments.

 

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