Scientists have uncovered a novel antibiotic-free approach that could help prevent and treat one of the most feared superbugs, using nanocapsules made of curcumin and other natural ingredients.
Helicobacter pylori s a bacterial pathogen carried by 4.4 billion people worldwide, with the highest prevalence in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.
Although the majority of infections show no symptoms, if left untreated the pathogen can cause chronic inflammation of the stomach lining, ulcers and is associated with an increased risk of gastric cancer.
Current treatments involve multi-target therapy with a combination of antibiotics, but this has promoted the emergence of resistant strains.
Now, UK and German scientists have developed an antibiotic-free approach to tackling such superbugs.
The formulation is delivered through billions of bundled together nanocapsules, which are smaller than a human blood cell, and prevents the bacteria from attaching to and infecting the stomach cells. The nanocapsules are loaded with curcumin – the principal curcuminoid of turmeric – which has well-documented anti-inflammatory and anti-tumour properties.
“The nanocapsules are loaded with curcumin – the principal curcuminoid of turmeric – which has well-documented anti-inflammatory and anti-tumour properties”
Instead of coming to kill the superbugs, which can promote the emergence of resistant strains of the bacteria, it covers the bacteria with an “anti-adhesion” coating, disabling its ability to stick to stomach cells and cause ill health, or even death.
Professor Francisco Goycoolea, from the School of Food Science and Nutrition at Leeds, said: “New integral approaches are needed to tackle antimicrobial resistance and research into alternatives to antibiotics is vital. This novel formulation, consisting of small capsules made of natural ingredients, could offer a new means to deter a globally-spread ‘superbug’ pathogen.”
The research, published in the journal ACS Applied Bio Materials, was carried out in vitro – using bacteria and stomach cells outside a human body.
More information
The paper Low-molecular-weight dextran sulfate nanocapsules inhibit the adhesion of Helicobacter pylori to gastric cells is published in ACS Applied Bio Materials on 17 October 2019 (DOI: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acsabm.9b00523)