Plants are Everything
This is not just about saving nature for nature's sake. This is about saving humanity.
Tune in this Saturday at 9 PM ET for the CNN primetime special on Champions for Change with Sanjay Gupta. This show will feature the stories of all 12 champions. Also, just out, you can view the full CNN video (3.5 minutes) on my work here:
Please share the link with your networks! I need your help in raising awareness about how critical our natural resources are to finding the next life saving cures of tomorrow!
During the film, I briefly mention some of our work on the discovery of antimicrobial compounds from the European Chestnut, Brazilian Peppertree, and American Beautyberry. Here’s more information on these plants, as well as links to some of the research papers we’ve published on our findings.
European Chestnut
Castanea sativa Mill., Fagaceae is found in forests of Europe. I first learned of the use of the leaves as a skin wash when conducting field research in Italy. The fruits are also roasted and eaten—a tasty, nutrient-rich snack! My research team discovered molecules in the leaves that change bacterial behavior, reducing their ability to produce harmful toxins. We also found and named a new molecule, Castaneroxy A.
Quave CL, Lyles JT, Kavanaugh JS, Nelson K, Parlet CP, Crosby HA, Heilmann KP, Horswill AR. Castanea sativa (European Chestnut) Leaf Extracts Rich in Ursene and Oleanene Derivatives Block Staphylococcus aureus Virulence and Pathogenesis without Detectable Resistance. PLoS One. 2015;10(8):e0136486.
Salam AM, Porras G, Cho YK, Brown MM, Risener CJ, Marquez L, Lyles JT, Bacsa J, Horswill AR, Quave CL. Castaneroxy A From the Leaves of Castanea sativa Inhibits Virulence in Staphylococcus aureus. Front Pharmacol. 2021;12:640179.
Brazilian Peppertree
Schinus terebinthifolia Raddi, Anacardiaceae may be the most hated weed in the state of Florida, but it is also rich in powerful antimicrobial compounds! We discovered molecules that block bacterial communication and reduce toxin production in bacteria in the fruit, while a molecule in the leaves starves the worst resistant bacteria and fungi of iron, making this plant a powerful tool in the fight against infection.
Tang H, Porras G, Brown MM, Chassagne F, Lyles JT, Bacsa J, Horswill AR, Quave CL. Triterpenoid acids isolated from Schinus terebinthifolia fruits reduce Staphylococcus aureus virulence and abate dermonecrosis. Sci Rep. 2020;10(1):8046.
Dettweiler M, Marquez L, Lin M, Sweeney-Jones AM, Chhetri BK, Zurawski DV, Kubanek J, Quave CL. Pentagalloyl glucose from Schinus terebinthifolia inhibits growth of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. Sci Rep. 2020;10(1):15340.
Marquez L, Lee Y, Duncan D, Whitesell L, Cowen LE, Quave C. Potent Antifungal Activity of Penta-O-galloyl-β-d-Glucose against Drug-Resistant Candida albicans, Candida auris, and Other Non-albicans Candida Species. ACS Infect Dis. 2023 ; 9(9):1685-1694.
American Beautyberry
Callicarpa americana L., Lamiaceae is a beautiful ornamental shrub found in the forests of the southeast, as well as in landscape designs. Its leaves not only contain a potent anticancer molecule (genkwanin, which we solved the structure of), but also produce a molecule that restores the activity of beta-lactam antibiotics to MRSA and is active against the bacterium responsible for acne.
Pineau RM, Hanson SE, Lyles JT, Quave CL. Growth Inhibitory Activity of Callicarpa americana Leaf Extracts Against Cutibacterium acnes. Front Pharmacol. 2019;10:1206. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2019.01206.
Dettweiler M, Melander RJ, Porras G, Risener C, Marquez L, Samarakoon T, Melander C, Quave CL. A Clerodane Diterpene from Callicarpa americana Resensitizes Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus to β-Lactam Antibiotics. ACS Infect Dis. 2020; 6(7):1667-1673.
Want to learn more?
I write about our latest findings on this newsletter, so be sure to subscribe! If you’d like to help us in our work to uncover nature’s next medicines, you can make a tax-deductible donation to our research group at Emory University. Donating through the below link ensures that all funds go directly to our research program to cover the costs of supplies and salaries of our research team.
Yours in health, Dr. Quave
Cassandra L. Quave, Ph.D. is a Guggenheim Fellow, Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, and award-winning author of The Plant Hunter. Her day job is as professor and herbarium curator at Emory University School of Medicine, where she leads a group of research scientists studying medicinal plants to find new life-saving drugs from nature. She hosts the Foodie Pharmacology podcast and writes the Nature’s Pharmacy newsletter to share the science behind natural medicines. To support her effort, consider a paid or founding subscription.
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