In our daily diet, there may be a solution to antibiotic resistance. Researchers have discovered that a natural substance used as a food additive disrupts the way bacteria exchange their resistance genes.
Antibiotic resistance represents a growing global threat. The World Health Organization warns that common infections are becoming increasingly difficult to treat, as bacteria develop defenses against the most widely used drugs. In the United States alone, these infections cause more than 2.8 million illnesses and 35,000 deaths per year. This rapid spread is not only due to mutations, but also to the ability of bacteria to directly exchange genetic material.
Bacteria - Illustration image Unsplash
To counter this phenomenon, the team focused on cinnamic acid. This compound is naturally part of the human diet and is produced by many plants as a defense molecule, particularly cinnamon. Tests were conducted in the laboratory, in simulated gut environments, and in live animals.
Rather than killing bacteria directly, cinnamic acid works by hindering their ability to share genetic information. Results show that it reduces the transfer rate in a dose-dependent manner. In mice, oral doses also lowered these transfers in vivo.
In-depth analysis revealed the underlying mechanism. Cinnamic acid disrupts the tricarboxylic acid cycle. It also suppresses genes involved in mating pair formation, DNA transfer, and replication.
Safety tests in mice showed no significant toxic effects after administration of the compound. Body weight remained stable and the structure of major organs was unchanged. The composition and diversity of the gut microbiota also remained unchanged, reinforcing the good safety profile of cinnamic acid for in vivo use.
This work identifies cinnamic acid as a broad-spectrum inhibitor, acting by disrupting the energy metabolism of bacteria. Since it is already widely consumed and considered safe, it could be added to current strategies aimed at slowing the spread of antibiotic resistance.
These results also encourage research into other natural compounds targeting metabolism to control gene transfer in the medical, agricultural, and environmental fields.