Castaneroxy A keeps MRSA at bay

Abstract

Extracts made from the leaves of the European chestnut tree Castanea sativa have been used in traditional medicine for over 100 years. Researchers have shown that these extracts can prevent methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from producing a variety of dangerous toxins and can halt skin infections in mice, but they didn’t know which molecule or molecules were responsible for keeping the bacterium at bay until now. Researchers led by Emory University’s Cassandra L. Quave have identified a new compound, which they named castaneroxy A, as the key antibacterial compound. They also found that, like the leaf extract, castaneroxy A blocks MRSA skin infections from progressing in mice ( Front. Pharmacol. 2021, DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.640179 ). While all antibiotic drugs approved by the US Food and Drug Administration work by killing bacteria or preventing bacterial growth, Quave and colleagues found that castaneroxy A has a different mechanism: it disrupts quorum sensing —chemical