Artificial sweetener saccharin may soon take center stage in the fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Recent research led by Professor Ronan McCarthy at Brunel University London suggests that the compound can destroy some of the world’s most dangerous bacterial pathogens.
Antibiotic resistance is a major threat to modern medicine, causing 1.27 million deaths worldwide in 2019 alone. The World Health Organization lists Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa as among its highest-priority threats due to their ability to infect those with weakened immune systems and resist most antibiotics.
However, the study reveals that saccharin can disrupt bacterial walls, causing them to distort and eventually burst, killing the bacteria. This physical breakdown allows conventional antibiotics to enter the bacteria more easily, making them work better.
Saccharin also messes with DNA inside bacterial cells, disrupting replication processes and triggering DNA repair systems. The sweetener changes how bacteria maintain their outer layers, weakening their defense and making them easier to kill.
The researchers found that saccharin prevented bacteria from forming biofilms – sticky layers that protect them from antibiotics – and even broke down existing ones. This effect was observed in polymicrobial biofilms, which are notoriously difficult to treat.
In real-world testing, scientists embedded saccharin into hydrogels and applied them to burn wounds using pig skin. The results showed that the saccharin-infused gel outperformed silver-based wound dressings in cutting down bacterial infections significantly.
The study’s findings offer a glimmer of hope in the fight against antibiotic resistance. With millions of lives at risk due to the growing problem, new solutions are urgently needed. Saccharin may represent a new therapeutic approach with exciting promise, and its discovery highlights the potential for unexpected compounds to combat this crisis.
Source: https://www.earth.com/news/common-sweetener-can-destroy-some-of-the-most-dangerous-bacteria