Wildflower Shows Promise Against Superbug

A modest yellow wildflower long tied to Irish folk cures may have real value in the fight against superbugs. Researchers in the UK and Ireland report that tormentil, common in bogs and heathland across Europe, can shut down growth of Acinetobacter baumannii, ranked by the WHO as among its most dangerous drug-resistant threats. In lab work on 70 bogland plants, tormentil stood out—not only for its ability to block the pathogen, which kills an estimated 50,000 people a year, but for how it seems to boost colistin, an aging "last resort" antibiotic, per a release from the University of Southampton.

"This study underscores the value of revisiting plants long rooted in traditional knowledge and folklore and shows us that nature still has much to teach us," says project co-lead John J. Walsh of Trinity College Dublin. Earth.com notes that researchers looked in bogs because plants hardy enough to survive there are likely able to produce "strong chemical defenses."

Scientists traced the flower's potency to two compounds, agrimoniin and ellagic acid, which appear to starve pathogens of iron; adding iron back reversed the effect. The finding helps explain tormentil's long history in traditional medicine for treating infections, tooth and gum problems, and stomach issues. The team says the next challenge is turning the plant's chemistry into viable drugs.