Nature is a rich sourceÊof pharmaceutical products and for thousands of years the people of WalesÊusedÊproducts such asÊhoney and plant extracts to treat their ailments. In the face of raising antibiotic and antiviral resistance we are keen to look to nature to identify new drugs to help us combat this growing threat.
In an earlier KESS supported PhD studentship on pharmabees we identifiedÊhoney samples and plants which contained antibacterial compounds capable of killingÊhospital superbugs such as Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). In subsequent studies we have shown that these plants also contain antiviral compounds raising the possibilityÊof developing formulations capableÊofÊtreating viralÊand bacterial pathogens.ÊWhile these laboratory based studiesÊare promising their full potential will only be realised if they are translated into real world products.
We were recently approached by Pharmavet, a Welsh companyÊwho are looking toÊdevelop a newÊproduct rangeÊwhich incorporates Welsh ÒnaturalÓ productsÊto produce nutraceuticals with the potential to promote health. The first product to be developed, and the subject of this proposal, will be a lipÊbalm in which we will combine an existing formulationÊdeveloped by the company with selected antimicrobial plants identified from our research.
This approach presents two major technical challenges:
- The development ofÊextraction techniques which maximise the recovery of antimicrobial compounds from each plant.ÊThe systems used will depend on the nature of the organic material and the polarity of the antimicrobial compounds. A range of solvents will be employedÊto identify the optimum extraction approach.
- To identify theÊconcentration ofÊeach plant extractÊwhich when combined with the lip balm base maximises antimicrobial activity but does not adversely effect theÊphysical properties of the balm.ÊUsing in house laboratory assays we will determine the impact, if any, of different plant extracts onÊthe antimicrobial activity of the lip balm.
