For thousands of years, humans have looked to nature for medicine and healthcare. This has not changed as even today many medications are derived or inspired by plants, fungi, bacteria etc; although today they are made more efficiently and potent by scientists. These organisms create compounds that can be used by humans to treat health conditions. In this article, we will be exploring how scientists are creating medicine from our natural environment.
In a study, recently published by Nature Microbiology, researchers scanned the genomes of 24 species of fungi to find genes involved in the production of various bioactive compounds, including antibiotics. More than 1,000 pathways have been discovered, demonstrating great potential for fungi to produce a wide variety of natural, bioactive chemicals that can be used as pharmaceuticals.
In approximately 90 cases, researchers were able to predict the chemical products of the pathways. They tracked the production of the antibiotic called yanuthone and identified new fungi that could produce the compound and also suggested that some species may be able to produce new versions of the drug.
A new strain of bacteria was discovered by a team from Swansea University School of Medicine. They have named the new strain Streptomyces sp. Myrophorea. The soil they analyzed was taken from a region of Northern Ireland, known as the Boho Highlands.
The search for alternative antibiotics to combat multi-drug resistance has led researchers to explore new sources. They also focus on the environments where known antibiotic producers such as Streptomyces are found.
The main result of the study was that the newly identified Streptomyces strains. According to the WHO, it inhibited the growth of four of the six most common multidrug-resistant pathogens that cause health-related infections, and it inhibits both Gram-positive and Gram-negative(more resistant to anti-biotics) bacteria with different cell wall structures. It's not yet clear which component of the new strain stops the pathogen from multiplying so more research will need to be done.
Algae have a long history in both Ireland and Canada. For example, Ireland harvests about 36,000 tons of seaweed annually. Seaweed species of commercial interest in Ireland include the species Laminaria digitata and Fucus, harvested primarily for the valuable carbohydrates laminarin and fucoidan, respectively. The Irish seaweed industry has evolved to produce high-quality products that can be used as personal care and cosmetic products.
Seaweeds are known to contain many heart-health compounds, including ACE inhibitors, antioxidants, and essential fatty acids. Of the eight Irish and Newfoundland seaweed species used in this study, the Irish algae Pervetia calyculata had the highest percentage of total lipids per dry weight, followed by the persistent Irish algae Ascophyllum nodosum. Further studies on the bioactivity profile of all algal lipid extracts and the isolation of bioactive components are currently underway.
There are many ways in which nature can provide us with life-saving medical care. This is why it is important to protect and conserve the environment before it is lost due to various factors like climate change.
By Eric Ragoonanan
References
Chalmers University of Technology. (2017, April 20). Fungi have enormous potential for new antibiotics. ScienceDaily. Retrieved June 28, 2023 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/04/170420090038.htm
Swansea University. (2018, December 27). Bacteria found in ancient Irish soil halts growth of superbugs: New hope for tackling antibiotic resistance. ScienceDaily. Retrieved June 27, 2023 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/12/181227111427.htm
Teagasc. (2011, September 13). Seaweed does the heart good?. ScienceDaily. Retrieved June 27, 2023 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110913184059.htm
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