Than more and more bacteria resistant to antibiotics, the more we revert to the ancient days when any scratch could become fatal due to infection. But from there, from the middle Ages, suddenly came the hope of salvation. British pharmacologists from the University of Warwick studied a single instance of “Bald”s Leechbook” medical textbook of the ninth century, and found there are prescription remedies, effective against the five most dangerous superbugs twenty-first century.
The main problem today are not the bacteria themselves, and biofilm – formed by them are dense and therefore resistant to external influences the accumulation of microorganisms. It’s a defense mechanism that developed the bacteria themselves in response to the destruction by antibiotics of isolated microbes. To deal with biofilms is extremely difficult, but even worse – now they increasingly are formed in the area of medicines or medical instruments. That is, the attempt to cure the person significantly increases the risk of infection.
Recipe found in an ancient book, is surprisingly simple: a mixture of garlic, onions, wine, and bile salts. None of the components does not harm the cells of the human body and each has a significant antibacterial effect. Thus, for example, garlic is useless against a solid biofilm, but takes effect when it is partially destroyed by other agents.
A modern version of a medieval means
Most antibiotics today is extracted from natural ingredients, but the emphasis is on substances with specific functions. Cook “wegmachen pot” potion of the different components today is considered a medieval relic. But after the antibiotic recipe from old books destroyed five superbugs: Acinetobacter baumanii, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Streptococcus pyogenes, the attitude has changed. It is possible that complex compositions will be the basis for future antibiotics.
Source — University of Warwick