Post by Graveyardbride on Jan 5, 2019 7:37:27 GMT -5
‘Healing Soil’ of the Druids Kills Drug-Resistant Bacteria
Scientists seldom take folk remedies seriously, but occasionally, the wisdom of the ancients proves beneficial, providing what some might call miraculous cures. Case in point: Researchers looking at ancient Irish “healing soil,” long believed to possessive remarkable healing properties, have discovered a previously unknown strain of bacteria that produces antibiotics capable of killing four of the world’s deadliest superbugs. The soil, which can be found in the Boho Highlands of Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, has a reputation for healing a number of ailments, ranging from toothaches to throat infections. Its history can be traced to the Druids, who once occupied the land, and possibly even as far back as Neolithic times.
“This new strain of bacteria is effective against four of the top sic pathogens that are resistant to antibiotics, including MRSA,” said Paul Dyson of Swansea University Medical School, one of the researchers studying the soil. “Our discovery is an important step forward in the fight against antibiotic resistance. Our results show that folklore and traditional medicines are worth investigating in the search for new antibiotics,” he continued. “Scientists, historians and archaeologists can all have something to contribute to this task. It seems that part of the answer to this very modern problem might lie in the wisdom of the past.”
Antibiotic-resistant superbugs are one of the biggest threats to global health today, placing millions of lives at risk as scientists frantically search for novel forms of antibiotics to combat the evolving scourge. The new strain of bacteria discovered in the Irish soil has been named Streptomyces sp. myrophorea and its discovery offers hope that other new antibiotics might be discovered by studying ancient folk remedies from around the world.
“The discovery of antimicrobial substances from Streptomyces sp.myrophorea will help in our search for new drugs to treat multi-resistant bacteria, the cause of many dangerous and lethal infections,” added Dr. Gerry Quinn of the research team. “We will now concentrate on the purification and identification of these antibiotics. We have also discovered additional antibacterial organisms from the same soil cure, which may cover a broader spectrum of multi-resistant pathogens.”
Source: Bryan Nelson, Mother Nature Network, December 27, 2018.
