Researchers from Norway and Australia have enhanced the antibacterial properties of ordinary vinegar with the help of nanotechnology.
As they found, adding cobalt and carbon nanoparticles to the vinegar killed harmful bacteria without posing any safety concerns.
Effective treatment of infected wounds
In fact, experiments on mice showed that the “nano-enhanced” vinegar healed infected wounds, which, according to the researchers, paves the way for more effective treatment of antibiotic-resistant infections.
Non-healing wounds are usually the result of bacterial infections and are particularly dangerous for the elderly as well as for patients with diabetes, cancer and other diseases.
Centuries-old disinfectant with limited capabilities
Acetic acid (commonly known as vinegar) has been used for centuries as a disinfectant, but it is effective against only a small number of bacteria and cannot kill the most dangerous species.
Antimicrobial nanoparticles
Now a new study conducted by researchers at the University of Bergen in Norway and their colleagues at the QIMR Berghofer Research Institute and Flinders University in Australia (“Nanotech transforms vinegar into a lifesaving superbug killer“) has shown that adding antimicrobial nanoparticles of carbon and cobalt can “boost” vinegar’s natural… killing properties against bacteria.
Killing Highly Dangerous, Resistant Bacteria
Dr. Adam Truskevich and Professor Nils Hallberg, both experts in molecular biology, discovered that carbon and cobalt nanoparticles can kill different types of dangerous bacteria and that their activity is enhanced when added to a vinegar solution. The mixture of nanoparticles and vinegar proved particularly effective against highly pathogenic bacteria such as resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Enterococcus faecalis.
Safe and effective approach
Dr. Truskevich explained that the acidic environment created by the vinegar causes the bacterial walls to swell and absorb the nanoparticle treatment. “The nanoparticles appear to attack dangerous bacteria both inside bacterial cells and on their surface, causing them to burst. Importantly, this approach is not toxic to human cells and has been shown in experiments on mice to kill bacterial infections in wounds without affecting their healing.”
Over 5 million deaths per year from resistant infections
The new… nano-enhanced vinegar is hoped to be an important ally in the fight against the ever-increasing resistance of bacteria to antibiotic treatments – it is noteworthy that it is estimated that over five million people worldwide lose their lives each year due to infections.
Combination therapies are key
According to Professor Halberg, the new study, published in the scientific journal ACS Nano, shows how nanoparticles can be used to improve the effectiveness of antibacterial treatments. “Combination therapies, such as the one we showed in our study, can help in the fight against bacterial resistance, which kills more than five million people every year. It is vital to discover new ways to effectively treat pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites,” the professor stressed.
