Scientists from The National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) has identified novel ways to combat tuberculosis and reduce bacterial resistance by developing three novel antibiotics derived from scorpion venom and habanero peppers.
A team led by Lourival Domingos Possani Postaya from the campus of the Institute of Biotechnology in Morelos created two drugs that showed effectiveness against this bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosisresponsible for tuberculosis, as well as against Staphylococcus aureusa microorganism that in the hospital environment can cause a variety of clinical complications, from skin infections to potentially fatal diseases such as pneumonia, meningitis, sepsis and endocarditis.
Antibiotics were obtained from scorpion venom Diplocentrus melicicomes from the state of Veracruz. The team managed to isolate two colorless molecules called benzoquinones – heterocyclic compounds that do not contain amino acids – from the arachnid toxin.
These particles have a special property: when in contact with air, they oxidize and change color. One becomes blue and the other red. This behavior allowed scientists to determine their chemical structure, synthesize them in the laboratory and evaluate their biological properties.
The results showed that the blue benzoquinone had the ability to act against the bacteria that cause tuberculosis, while the red one was effective against the bacteria that cause tuberculosis. Staphylococcus aureus. Ryszard Zarea renowned expert in physical chemistry and professor of chemistry at Stanford University, participated in the process, which strengthened the validation of the findings.
Rogelio Hernández Pando from the National Institute of Medical Sciences and Nutrition also participated in the project. Salvador Zubirán, who evaluated the effects of blue benzoquinone in a mouse model with induced tuberculosis. After research, he concluded that this molecule acts as a highly effective antibiotic against this disease.
The team then conducted further research and found that the same substance was also able to eliminate other bacteria, e.g Acinetobacter baumanniia highly resistant opportunistic pathogen that is often associated with infections of the blood, urinary tract, lungs and wounds, especially in hospitals.
Molecules derived from scorpion venom have already been patented in Mexico and South Africa. Currently, scientists are working on developing nanoparticles that will act as stabilizers and protective systems, thanks to which antibiotics can be safely administered to the body.
According to Possani Postay, the next step will be to conduct clinical trials, although he admits that they involve significant investments. For this reason, he expressed interest in working with a national pharmaceutical company to bring the compounds into large-scale production.
From sauce to antibiotic
At the same time, another group from the UNAM Institute of Biotechnology identified a peptide in habanero chili peppers that has the ability to fight opportunistic bacteria that can cause grave infections, especially in patients with weakened immune systems.
This project, led by Gerardo Corzo Burguete together with Georgina Estrada Tapia of the Yucatan Center for Scientific Research, focused on the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosarecognized by the World Health Organization as high priority pathogen due to resistance to conventional antibiotics.
Scientists have identified a peptide called defensin J1-1 in habanero peppers (Chinese pepper). Based on this discovery, they developed a biotechnological process to produce a drug called XisHar J1-1, which proved effective against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and has potential in the treatment of infections caused by fungi.
The procedure involved genetic modification of the bacteria to induce the production of J1-1 defensin. The modified microorganism was then grown through submerged fermentation, an industrial technique that allows the compounds to be produced on a immense scale. Finally, the peptide was extracted and purified for apply as an antibiotic.