ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS FOUND IN SUGAR-FREE FOODS CAN KILL ANTIBIOTIC-RESISTANT BACTERIA

The discovery could help in the war against superbugs

T he key to beating antibiotic-resistant bacteria could have been hiding in plain sight on our supermarket shelves. Three artificial sweeteners that are commonly used in diet drinks, yoghurts and desserts can dramatically halt the growth of multidrug-resistant bacteria, a study carried out at Brunel University London has found.

The sweeteners saccharin, cyclamate and acesulfame-K inhibited the growth of two bacteria, Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which cause pneumonia and sepsis. These bacteria are on the World Health Organization’s (WHO) list of ‘priority pathogens’ that urgently need new antibiotic treatments, thanks to the deadly threat they pose to those with compromised immune systems. The team found that acesulfame-K was particularly effective in preventing the bacteria from developing the biofilms that protect them from antibiotics.

When used in conjunction with antibiotics, all three sweeteners reduced the bacteria’s resistance, meaning that lower doses of the drugs were needed for effective treatment.

“Artificial sweeteners are present in all diet and sugar-free foods,” said study leader Dr Ronan McCarthy, a bioscientist at Brunel University London.

“We discovered that these same sweeteners that you have with your coffee or in your ‘sugar-free’ soda could kill very dangerous bacteria and make them easier to treat. This is exciting, because normally it takes billions of dollars and decades to develop a new antibiotic drug, whereas we found a compound that can not only fight the pathogenic bacteria but also reverse its resistance to already existing antibiotics.”

Antibiotic resistance arises thanks to bacteria’s ability to adapt in response to antibiotics. It occurs naturally, but overprescribing drugs in humans and misuse in animals is accelerating the process. It’s currently considered to be one of the biggest threats to global health and food security.

“It has created a dangerous situation where a ‘postantibiotic era’ is becoming a reality,” said McCarthy. “It threatens all aspects of healthcare, from cancer treatment to dental work.”

The researchers now plan to run further tests and are optimistic that all three sweeteners could potentially offer new treatments for multidrug-resistant infection.

THE SWEET STUFF

Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, acesulfame K and saccharin are chemical compounds used in place of sugar to sweeten food and drinks such as desserts, ready meals and soft drinks. They provide a sweet taste when consumed because their molecules are similar enough in shape to sugar molecules to fit on the sweetness receptors that line the tongue. Although some sweeteners contain calories, the quantities needed to provide a sweet taste are so small that their contribution to a person’s overall daily intake is negligible.

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