It is so rewarding to read the articles that describe how scientists continue to tap into natures storehouse of elements to find ways to make us healthier and more productive.............McGill University Researchers are finding that concentrated extracts of maple syrup combined with antibiotics significantly reduced the growth of four common bacterial strains and bacterial communities called biofilms,.............. Bacterial biofilms accumulate on medical surfaces and devices, such as catheters and artificial joints, and are responsible for many antibiotic-resistant hospital infections, research has shown.............Maple syrup contains plant-based compounds called phenols that have exhibited antioxidant and anti-cancer properties in previous studies........... Maple syrup may reduce the dose of antibiotics needed to kill biofilms........In another exciting nature based study, Seattle-based Biotech firm, Kineta Inc, a biotechnology company, is in the process of developing an unusual drug—derived from the venom of a sea anemone to treat autoimmune diseases such as psoriasis and multiple sclerosis................This new drug, called dalazatide, is intended to block only the white blood cells that cause many autoimmune diseases............... Traditional treatments for autoimmune disorders suppress the entire immune system, putting patients at risk for infections................Dalazatide is derived from the venom of the sun anemone, which lives on reefs in the Caribbean............ It is part of a burgeoning research effort, much of it centered in Australia, to find new treatments, including painkillers, from the venoms of snakes, spiders and other creatures......So for all those "MODERNISTS" that you come across who say "who cares if Sea Anemone go extinct" and "there are so many trees, so what if maples cease to be part of the forest mosaic"-----Please remind them that "the first order of intelligent tinkering is to keep all the cogs and wheels"-Aldo Leopold(great 20th century naturalist)............If we keep amping up extinctions, we are sinking the chances for the most optimum future for all living creatures on our planet, including us men and women

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Maple Syrup: New Way to Fight Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria?

Concentrated extracts of maple syrup combined with antibiotics reduced the growth of four common bacterial strains

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Novel Drug From Nature Shows Early Promise

The medication is intended to treat autoimmune disorders such as psoriasis and MS