Nanoparticles supercharge vinegar’s old-fashioned wound healing power

Wounds that do not heal are often caused by bacterial infections and are particularly dangerous for the elderly and people with diabetes, cancer and other conditions. Acetic acid (more commonly known as vinegar) has been used for centuries as a disinfectant, but it is only effective against a small number of bacteria, and it does not kill the most dangerous types.

New research led by researchers at University of Bergen in Norway, QIMR Berghofer and Flinders University in Australia has resulted in the ability to boost the natural bacterial killing qualities of vinegar by adding antimicrobial nanoparticles made from carbon and cobalt. The findings have been published in the journal ACS Nano.

Molecular biologists Dr. Adam Truskewycz and Professor Nils Halberg found these particles could kill several dangerous bacterial species, and their activity was enhanced when added to a weak vinegar solution.

As part of the study, Dr. Truskewycz and Professor Halberg added cobalt-containing carbon quantum dot nanoparticles to weak acetic acid (vinegar) to create a potent antimicrobial treatment. They used this mixture against several pathogenic species, including the drug resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Enterococcus faecalis.

Dr. Truskewycz said the acidic environment from the vinegar made bacterial cells swell and take up the nanoparticle treatment.

“Once exposed, the nanoparticles appear to attack dangerous bacteria from both inside the bacterial cell and also on its surface, causing them to burst. Importantly, this approach is nontoxic to human cells and was shown to remove bacterial infections from mice wounds without affecting healing,” he said.

The antibacterial boost in vinegar found in the study could potentially be an important contribution toward the ongoing battle against the rising antimicrobial resistance levels worldwide, with an estimated 4.5 million deaths associated with a direct infectious disease.

Professor Halberg said this study showed how nanoparticles could be used to increase the effectiveness of traditional bacterial treatments.

“Combination treatments such as the ones highlighted in this study may help to curb antimicrobial resistance. Given this issue can kill up to 5 million people each year, it’s vital we look to find new ways of killing pathogens like viruses, bacteria and fungi or parasites,” he said.