Sugary sweet and dangerous: Saccharin as a weapon against resistant killer germs!

Sugary sweet and dangerous: Saccharin as a weapon against resistant killer germs!

A groundbreaking advance in the fight against multi-resistant bacteria was achieved through the use of the sweetener saccharin, known from diet cola and light yoghurts. Researchers in an international study have found that saccharin can weaken the cell walls of certain pathogenic bacteria, leading to their cell death. These are particularly the dreaded pathogensAcinetobacter baumanniiandPseudomonas aeruginosa, which cost millions of lives every year. Professor Ronan McCarthy from Brunel University London explains that saccharin increases the sensitivity of these bacteria to antibiotics, which is an important step in the fight against antibiotic resistance. This resistance is a growing health problem that is also being addressed by the Robert Koch Institute, as resistant pathogens often appear in hospitals and agriculture.

Considered one of the leading artificial sweeteners, saccharin has proven to be much more than just a sugar substitute. Recent studies show that saccharin exerts its antimicrobial properties by efficiently disrupting the stability of bacterial cell envelopes and the DNA replication process. An investigation published inEMBO Molecular Medicine, shows that after treatment with saccharin, the morphology ofEscherichia colibecame abnormal, resulting in cell lysis. In particular, a significant growth inhibition of more than 70% was found in multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria at a concentration of 2%.

Therapeutic potential of saccharin

The use of saccharin in medicine could have far-reaching implications. In tests, a hydrogel formulated with saccharin to treat burns on pig skin showed a significant reduction in bacterial load compared to traditional treatment methods. These results suggest that saccharin can overcome the limitations of traditional antibiotics and be used effectively against MDR pathogens and biofilms.

The threat of antibiotic resistance should not be underestimated. According to the Robert Koch Institute, any use of antibiotics leads to the development of resistance, which means that sensitive bacteria are killed while resistant ones survive and continue to multiply. People with weak immune systems, including organ transplant patients, children with immature immune systems and cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, are particularly at risk. These population groups are more susceptible to more severe infections with resistant pathogens.

Future outlook

The method of integrating saccharin in a future medical application is being intensively discussed. Since saccharin has long been approved worldwide and is widely used, it could be used as a wound plaster or in other medical formulations. This offers the opportunity not only to increase the effectiveness of existing antibiotics, but also to develop a new weapon in the fight against increasing resistance.

[oe24] reports that the use of saccharin could revolutionize the treatment of infections. NewsMedical adds that the special properties of saccharin are able to support traditional antibiotic therapies while the Robert Koch Institute urgently points out the problem of increasing antibiotic resistance, which can affect everyone and poses challenges for healthcare.