Researchers at Quebec's Université Laval took a type of blood
cells called macrophages and added bacterial compounds.
Normally, this triggers an inflammatory response, but when the
researchers added quebecol, the response didn't occur.
They have created synthetic versions of quebecol that are even
more powerful that the original molecule. They believe the new
versions could open the door to a new class of anti-inflammatory
drugs that would be effective in treating immune diseases, such
as arthritis, while reducing the side effects of current
treatments.
• Treat cancer. A 2013 study published in
Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemical Letters found that quebecol
had effects similar to tamoxifen, a chemotherapy drug used to
treat breast and other cancers. The researchers explained that
tamoxifen had severe side effects whereas maple syrup shows no
toxicity. They expressed hope that quebecol could be a way to
fight cancer without the side effects of current treatments.
• Combat harmful bacteria. Researchers at
Canada's McGill university created a concentrated extract of
maple syrup that combats bacteria. The researchers tested the
extracts effect in the laboratory on certain bacteria that cause
infections, including E. coli and Proteus mirabilis (a common
cause of urinary tract infection). By itself, the extract
combated the bacteria, but it was even more effective when
combined with antibiotics.
The extract also acted synergistically — creating a more
powerful effect by combining two substances — with antibiotics
to destroy resistant communities of bacteria known as biofilms,
which are common in difficult-to-treat infections, such as
catheter-associated urinary tract infections. The research was
published in the journal Applied Environmental Microbiology.
"The findings suggest a potentially simple and effective
approach for reducing antibiotic usage," said researcher
Nathalie Tufenkji. "I could see maple syrup extract being
incorporated eventually, for example, into the capsules of
antibiotics."