WPI researchers characterize bacteria-fighting cranberry compounds
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Terri Camesano, PhD, co-lead a research team that characterized the role of cranberry juice compounds in fighting bacteria.
A team of Worcester Polytechnic Institute and UMass Dartmouth researchers characterized how some cranberry juice compounds can be effective in blocking the first step of bacterial infections, a finding that WPI said could lead to new horizons for antibiotic development.
In research built upon previous findings related to cranberry juice compounds, the team found that compounds called flavonols greatly reduced the ability of E.coli to stick to a surface, according to a press release from WPI. The research came out of a need for new antibiotic drug targets, driven by an emergence of antibiotic-resistant superbugs, according to a statement from Terri Camesano, PhD, professor of chemical engineering and dean of graduate studies at WPI. Camesano co-led the research team with Catherine Neto, PhD, professor and chair of chemistry and biochemistry at UMass Dartmouth.
E.coli strains can cause several bacterial ailments, including urinary tract infections, according to the release.
The UMass Dartmouth team used advanced chemical techniques to separate cranberry juice into its constituent chemical compounds so they could be characterized. Then, the WPI team cultured E.coli cells in samples of the fractionated juice and measured the bacteria’s ability to bond to the surface using an atomic force microscope. After multiple rounds of testing, it became clear that flavonols were effective in reducing E.coli adhesion, according to WPI.
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