Ugandan tree bark extract kills two drug-resistant superbugs in lab tests
Medicinal Plants
Albizia trees, relatives of the mimosa and silk trees planted in warm-climate gardens and parks, carry bark chemistry that traditional healers have long used and that labs are now testing against antibiotic-resistant infections.
Researchers ground up the bark of a tree from northern Uganda, soaked it in ethanol, and tested the extract on two bacteria that resist many antibiotics. The extract killed both, and it worked especially well against MRSA, the well-known hospital superbug. It's a lab result only, so nobody knows yet whether it's safe or effective as a medicine.
Key Findings
The ethanol extract tested positive for alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, and phenols.
Zone of inhibition was 23.25 ± 0.48 mm for MRSA versus 11.50 ± 0.50 mm for carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
MIC/MBC were 125/250 mg/mL for MRSA and 62.5/125 mg/mL for CRPA; an MBC/MIC ratio of 2 for both indicates bactericidal action.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Bark extract from a Ugandan tree called Albizia coriaria killed two drug-resistant bacteria in lab dishes, including MRSA, a hospital superbug. The results are early and come from lab tests only, but they point to a possible new source of antibacterial compounds.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Antibacterial Activity of Albizia coriaria Ethanolic Extract Against Archived Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Carbapenem-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolates from Pakwach District, Uganda
Background: Antimicrobial resistance is a major public health concern, particularly with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CRPA), w...
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Albizia coriaria is a deciduous tree native to Tropical Africa belonging to the family Fabaceae, the root and stem bark are widely used in traditional medicine to treat a variety of diseases.