Red Algae Can Treat Wounds And Infections

Researchers believe a compound derived from red algae may help treat wounds and infections.

A team at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel, say it may have advantages over traditional anti-microbial treatments, as bacteria become increasingly resistant.

They found they could combine the sugar element (polysaccharide) of porphyridium, a red-colored marine algae, with copper oxide to produce a compound that worked well against bacteria and fungus.

“A polysaccharide is a carbohydrate with linked sugar molecules and by adding copper, we were able to create an effective new material, said researchers Prof. Shoshana Arad, Prof. Ariel Kushmaro and Prof. Levi A. Gheber.

“The results of this study can serve as the basis for the production of new functional metal–polysaccharide complexes with a wide range of applications,” they say.

BGN Technologies, the university’s technology transfer company, hopes to find commercial applications for the discovery.

“In light of the increased resistance to antibiotic and antifungal agents, there is a growing need for the development of new and improved treatments. BGN Technologies holds a patent application ready for licensing in the field,” it said.

The study, Complexes of Cu–Polysaccharide of a Marine Red Microalga Produce Spikes with Antimicrobial Activity, is published in the peer-reviewed journal Marine Drugs