Researchers have discovered that a naturally-occurring compound found in trees is effective in combating superbugs. Drug-resistant bacteria occur in more than 2.8 million infections and are responsible for 35,000 deaths per year with common antibiotic-resistant "superbugs" causing diseases such as sepsis, urinary tract infections and pneumonia.
Now scientists at the University of Portsmouth, in a study published in the Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases journal, have found the compound hydroquinine, which can be used to treat malaria in humans, has bacterial killing activity against several microorganisms.
A university spokesman said: "Antimicrobial resistance has become one of the greatest threats to public health globally. It occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change over time and no longer respond to medicines, making it difficult to treat infections. Because of this, there is a pressing need for the development of new antimicrobial drugs to combat infections."
