Exciting discovery from Nicotiana alata leading to a new class of antibiotics



A new scientific discovery, has lead to the development of a new class of antibiotics and meet the challenge of rising antibiotic resistance.

Researchers Dr Mark Hulett and Dr Marc Kvansakul from La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science has made major discovery with the flowers of an ornamental tobacco plant. Their discovery is that peptide NaD1 found in the flowers of Nicotiana alata has infection-killing qualities.
Dr. Hullett said that "Infectious diseases are a major global health threat, which accounts to more than one in eight deaths and mortality rates”
"Antibiotic resistance will eventually lead to the depletion of effective long-term drug options. It's crucial that we develop new antibiotic treatments."
Dr. Hulett and Dr. Kvansakul along with their team have shown in atomic detail how tobacco plant peptide can target and effectively destroy the micro-organism responsible for a infection.
The peptide has the ability to perforate the outer layer of Candida albican cells, ripping them apart thereby causing them to explode and die.
"Another added value is that they act in a different way to existing antibiotics by allowing us to explore new ways of fighting infections.
"It is an exciting discovery as a new class of commercially important, life-saving, antimicrobial treatment to treat a wide range of infectious diseases could be possibly developed.


In 2014, Dr. Hulett and Dr. Kvansakul also found that NaD1 could also be effective in killing cancer cells.
Candida albicans is the important microbe that is responsible for causing infections in immune-compromised patients, including those diagnosed with cancer and transplant recipients. Unfortunately there are not many effective antibiotics available in the market to treat these infections.
Nicotiana alata flowers have the natural ability to produce potent antifungal molecules that provides protection against illness and infections.


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