Natural product based anti-adhesion therapy- innovative prevention against bacterial infections

Summary

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) resistance, similar to climate change, is a shared global problem. AMR threatens the effective prevention and treatment of an ever-increasing range of infections. There are plenty of resistant bacteria that cause common infections such as urinary tract infections and pneumonia. In addition to causing death, disability and suffering AMR has huge economic impacts. The alarming increase in drug-resistant bacteria means that there is a need for novel means of fighting against bacterial infections. One feasible approach is to use agents that interfere with the ability of the bacteria to adhere to the tissues of the host, the initial stages of the infectious process. Our research project deals with milk oligosaccharides, wild berry and herbal bioactive polyphenols in prevention of bacterial attachment to human nasopharynx. We have focused on major human respiratory pathogenic bacteria. By employing several in vitro techniques we have shown that wild berry molecular fractions inhibit the binding of the serious human pathogen Neisseria meningitidis, associated with fatal invasive infections, meningitidis and septicemia. Anti-infective properties of wild berry fractions against different Streptococci causing human respiratory infections, newborn meningitis, animal diseases and associated with dental caries have been detected as well. Inhibitory activity of the berry material has been extracted especially from wild Vaccinium berries (bilberries, cranberries, and lingonberries) and from crowberries. Bioactive wild berry polyphenols represent organic products from wild forests subjected under organic certification.