Excerpts: An ingredient in garlic may offer one of the best defences against hospital superbugs, new
British research has shown.
The compound is said to be effective even against highly resistant strains of the notorious MRSA
bug, which has claimed many lives.
It can cure patients with MRSA-infected wounds "within days", said microbiologist Dr Ron Cutler,
from the University of East London, who carried out the research.
Allicin, which occurs naturally in garlic, not only killed known varieties of MRSA, but also new
superbug generations resistant to "last resort" antibiotics such as vancomycin.
"MRSA is causing a genuine crisis in our hospital system in Britain and worldwide," Dr Cutler said.
"Antibiotics are increasingly ineffective, but we do have a powerful natural ally. Plant compounds
have evolved over millions of years as chemical defence agents against infection. Garlic has been
used in medicine for centuries, and it should be no surprise that it is effective against this very
modern infection."
MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) causes an estimated 2,000 deaths in UK hospitals
each year, mainly by infecting surgical wounds.
"The trials we have conducted so far show that this formulation is highly effective against MRSA,
and it could save many lives," said Dr Cutler.
Results from the laboratory research are due to appear in the Journal of Biomedical Science