Dr Du Preez van Staden of Stellenbosch University has been trying to find a new source of antibiotics, and has turned to fynbos for some answers.
Our fertile fynbos soil contains a group of peptide antibiotics known as lantibiotics that are effective in the treatment of bacterial infections.
Lantibiotics can help treat a variety of ailments from abdominal infections to skin infections and infections of medical implants, and even scarlet fever. They can also be helpful for more common infections of skin and soft tissue that have become resistant to traditional antibiotic treatment.
‘Lantibiotics could be an attractive alternative to traditional antibiotics/antimicrobial treatments and could also be used in conjunction with commercially available antimicrobial products for a more effective reduction in bacterial resistance,’ explains Dr Du Preez van Staden
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