"Coronavirus demonstrated how easily a pandemic can happen, and the threat of another is looking more likely as antibiotics to treat simple bacterial infections are no longer working."
To test the effectiveness of the metal complex, manganese carbonyl, researchers worked with the Greater Wax Moth larvae and APEC. Split into two groups, the first received manganese carbonyl, while the second, the controls, received either a phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) or dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). After four days, the survival rate for the larvae that received manganese carbonyl was between 56% and 75%, whereas in the control group, the survival rate was between 25% and 45% (PBS) and 19% and 45% (DMSO), demonstrating the protective effect of the complex.
The test was repeated in chickens infected with APEC, who again received either manganese carbonyl or PBS. Bacterial shedding identified in the feces of the chickens was significantly lower 24 hours post-treatment in those who received manganese carbonyl compared to the PBS control group, indicating bacterial killing induced by the compound. This is supported by caecal samples taken three days post-treatment which again found significantly fewer bacteria in those that received manganese carbonyl. Examination of tissue samples from the livers of the birds indicated no toxic effects from the metal compound, which was observed in the larvae.
Dr. Jonathan Betts, a research fellow at the University of Surrey School of Veterinary Medicine, said, "The development of alternatives to antibiotics is vital to safeguard our future health. Metal complexes such as manganese carbonyl could do this, as we have shown not only are they effective, but they are much cheaper to produce than traditional antibiotics.
"Discovering the effectiveness of manganese carbonyl in treating APEC is a monumental step forward in tackling antimicrobial resistance as it shows we don't necessarily need more antibiotics; we just need to think more innovatively in developing treatments."
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