Scientists are turning to unconventional solutions to tackle infectious diseases, including artificial sweeteners and chewing gum. A new study suggests that saccharin, a widely used artificial sweetener, has antibacterial properties that can help combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Researchers at Brunel University of London found that saccharin can halt bacterial growth, disrupt DNA replication, and prevent the formation of biofilms – sticky layers that make bacteria resistant to antibiotics. This damage allows antibiotics to penetrate and overwhelm the resistance systems.
The study’s lead author, Professor Ronan McCarthy, believes that saccharin could represent a new therapeutic approach with exciting promise. “We urgently need new drugs to treat resistant infections,” he says. “Saccharin breaks the walls of bacterial pathogens, causing them to distort and eventually burst, killing the bacteria.”
In another breakthrough, scientists have created chewing gum from lablab beans, which contain an antiviral protein that can neutralize herpes simplex viruses and influenza A strains in lab experiments. The gum was tested on a “mastication simulator” and showed promising results, reducing viral load by 95%.
The discovery of these natural antivirals and antibacterial agents could be crucial in controlling and treating multidrug-resistant pathogens in the coming decades. As the world becomes increasingly connected, controlling the transmission of viruses between humans is a major global challenge.
Source: https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/medicine/gum-artificial-sweetener-antimicrobial