Metals and acids – a modern alternative to antibiotics

Pathogenic bacteria could be eradicated by using a combination of organic acids and metals, study finds

Latest study focused on ways to fight bacterial contamination in both medicine and agricultural fields of research. According to scientists, in order to combat increasingly antibiotic-resistant bacteria nowadays, humanity needs to develop other methods to fight infestation, as traditional antibiotherapy will soon no longer be effective (World Health Organization 2014).

 
But now, the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology might have a solution for this, as an alternative to the use of antibiotics. By combining low concentrations of metals such as silver, zinc and copper and organic acids, scientists might have found a way to fight bacteria.

 
Assistant Professor Oded Lewinson, the team leader conducting the research, explains for the Nature Scientific Reports:

 
“Combining these two types of substances is far more effective than using each one separately. Called ‘synergistic inhibition’, this combination enables the use of extremely low concentrations of metals and food acids for preserving food and spraying crops.”

 
So far, the low concentration combination was effective for cholera, salmonella, and pseudomonas in both crops and laboratories, with a positive impact over the environment and overall human health.

 
The study in Israel in only one from the many studies conducted around the world in order to find a viable alternative to nowadays treatments.