biofilm-inhibition
Biofilm inhibition refers to strategies that prevent or disrupt the formation of structured microbial communities — known as biofilms — on plant surfaces or in the rhizosphere. In plant science, this is significant because pathogenic bacteria often rely on biofilm formation to establish infections, evade plant defenses, and persist in agricultural environments. Understanding and harnessing biofilm-inhibiting compounds, including those produced by plants themselves, offers promising avenues for developing natural, sustainable approaches to disease management.
open_in_new WikipediaPubMed · 2026-04-21
Researchers used leaf extract from the Peruvian pepper tree to create tiny selenium particles that effectively kill drug-resistant staph bacteria and show promise against cancer cells — all without harsh chemicals.
Selenium nanoparticles (50 nm) made from Peruvian pepper tree extract inhibited all 10 drug-resistant staph (MRSA) strains tested, with effective doses of 8–12 μg/mL
Combining the nanoparticles with three common antibiotics produced strong synergy (FICI ≤ 0.5), dramatically lowering the antibiotic doses needed to kill bacteria
The nanoparticles selectively killed cancer cells with minimal toxicity to normal cells, and lab tests confirmed they triggered programmed cell death (apoptosis) in cancer lines
