Another medical breakthrough thanks to trees

Researchers in South Africa believe that they may have found a new avenue toward fighting tuberculosis, the second deadliest infectious disease in the world. Scientists looked at the South African toothbrush tree, the antibacterial properties from which are used for oral hygiene and to fight medical complaints such as bronchitis. They found that a compound from the tree, called diospyrin, binds to a site in the enzyme DNA gyrase and deactivates it.

Because of diospyrin's methods, it can successfully target both drug-resistant and drug-sensitive strains of tuberculosis, which has become a growing concerns with current treatment methods.