New research finds that cranberry molecules make bacteria more sensitive to antibiotics and reveals the twofold mechanism by which they do so.

Share on Pinterest Cranberries may have hidden powers when it comes to fighting bacteria.

Both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have deemed antibiotic resistance a “global public health concern.”

The overuse of antibiotics both in humans and animals has led to the emergence of drug-resistant “superbugs.” Overpopulation, global migration, and poor sanitation are only some of the reasons why the drug resistance problem has escalated.

Some researchers even go as far as to warn that “we are on the cusp of returning to a preantibiotic era in which minor infections can once again become deadly.”

In this context, scientists have been trying to come up with innovative and sometimes unconventional solutions, turning to insects or even fish slime for compounds that could be deadly to superbugs.

Now, researchers from McGill University in Quebec, in collaboration with the “Institut national de la recherche scientifique” (INRS) in Montreal — both in Canada — have decided to explore the potential of cranberries for fighting off infections.

Nathalie Tufenkji, a professor of chemical engineering at McGill, is the lead author of the study. Prof. Tufenkji and colleagues found that a cranberry extract can make bacteria more sensitive to antibiotics. The authors published their findings in the journal Advanced Science.