Smoke and Hot Peppers Offer the Key to Killing Resistant Bacteria

Researchers from The National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) has discovered new ways to fight tuberculosis and reduce it bacterial resistancedevelopment of three new antibiotics derived from scorpion smoke and habanero pepper.

A team led by Lourival Domingos Possani Postay, from the Institute of Biotechnology’s Morelos campus, developed two compounds that showed strong anti-bacterial properties. Mycobacterium tuberculosiswhich causes tuberculosis, and vice versa Staphylococcus aureusMicroorganisms found in hospitals that cause a variety of diseases, from skin infections to life-threatening diseases such as pneumonia, meningitis, septicemia, and endocarditis.

Antibiotics are derived from scorpion stings Diplocentrus meliciborn in the state of Veracruz. The team was able to isolate two colorless molecules called benzoquinones—heterocyclic compounds that do not contain amino acids—from arachnid venom.

These molecules have a specific property: When exposed to air, they oxidize and change color. One is blue and the other is red. This behavior helped scientists learn how to make drugs, create them in the laboratory, and monitor their effectiveness.

The results showed that the blue benzoquinone can fight the bacteria that cause tuberculosis, while the red one works against the bacteria that cause tuberculosis. Staphylococcus aureus. Richard Zarea well-known chemist and professor of chemistry at Stanford University, participated in the project, which encouraged the confirmation of his findings.

The work also included the collaboration of Rogelio Hernández Pando, from the Salvador Zubirán National Institute of Medical Sciences and Nutrition, who observed the effects of blue benzoquinone in a mouse model with tuberculosis causing tuberculosis. After the tests, they confirmed that the molecule works as a very effective drug against the disease.

Later, the group tested again and found that the same substance can eliminate other bacteria, such as Acinetobacter baumanniipathogens that are a serious problem often associated with blood, urinary, lung, and wound infections, especially in hospitals.

Molecules obtained from scorpion venom are already licensed in Mexico and South Africa. Currently, researchers are working on the creation of nanoparticles that work as stabilizers and defense systems, so that antibiotics can be safely delivered to the body.

According to Possani Postay, the next step is to conduct clinical trials, although he realizes that this involves a lot of money. For this reason, he expressed interest in collaborating with a national pharmaceutical company to bring the drug to mass production.

From Soup to Antibiotic

At the same time, another team at the UNAM Biotechnology Institute identified a peptide in the habanero pepper that can fight bacteria that cause serious diseases, especially in patients with weak immunity.

The project, led by Gerardo Corzo Burguete together with Georgina Estrada Tapia from the Yucatan Scientific Research Center, focused on bacteria. Pseudomonas aeruginosawhich the World Health Organization considers as a very serious illness because of his resistance to medical treatment.

Scientists have identified a peptide called defensin J1-1 in the habanero bell pepper (Capsicum recipe). Based on his findings, he developed a biotechnological method to produce a drug called XisHar J1-1, which proved to be effective against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and can treat fungal infections.

The method involved genetic modification of the bacteria to produce J1-1 defensin. Then, and modified insects were developed with arrows and power, and industrial methods that allow the generation of drugs on a large scale. Finally, the peptide was extracted and purified for use as an antibiotic.