Scientists have found that a compound in trees has the potential to kill drug-resistant bacteria

The researchers discovered a naturally occurring compound called hydroquinine that has bactericidal activity against several microorganisms

Antimicrobial resistance has become one of the greatest threats to

Scientists from portsmouth University, Naresuan University and PybsunKram Rajabat University in Thailand conducted a new study to explore whether hydrogenquinine found in the bark of some trees can inhibit any bacterial strains

The findings, published in the journal Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases, suggest that the antimicrobial properties of this organic compound make it a potential candidate for future clinical studies

Dr Robert Baldock, from the University of Portsmouth's School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, said: "Through experiments that kill bacteria, we found that hydroquinine was able to kill several microorganisms, including the common multidrug-resistant pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa

"Qualitatively, we also found that one of the main mechanisms these bacteria use to evade drug killing activity is upregulated in treatment — suggesting that bacteria have a strong response

"By further studying this compound, we hope it may provide another therapeutic route

Drug-resistant bacteria appear in more than 2.

The study recommends further investigation of the antimicrobial resistance properties and side effects

Dr Jirapas Jongjitwimol, from the Department of Medical Technology at Naresuan University, added: "Our future research goal is to reveal molecular targets for hydroquinine

Article title

 Hydroquinine Possesses Antibacterial Activity, and at Half the MIC, Induces the Overexpression of RND-Type Efflux Pumps Using Multiplex Digital PCR in Pseudomonas aeruginosa