LONDON: Potato contains unique antibacterial molecules that can treat stomach ulcers, a new study has claimed. Scientists from Manchester University have discovered that a key molecule in potato can both cure and prevent the bacteria that lives in the stomach and causes stomach ulcers and heartburn, the Daily Mail reported.
Unlike with antibiotics, the stomach bacteria cannot develop resistance to the 'potato juice' which also does not cause any side-effects .
Scientists carried out the test on different types of potatoes — discovering Maris Piper and King Edward varieties worked the best.
The process to extract the as yet unnamed molecule has now been patented, with hopes it could one day be sold as a supplement similar to probiotic yoghurt drinks.
"We see this potato juice as a preventative measure to stop stomach ulcers developing that people would take as part of a healthy lifestyle," Ian Roberts, professor of microbiology at the Faculty of Life Sciences, who worked on the discovery was quoted by the paper as saying.
Mystery of how giant stars formed cracked
LONDON: An Indian-origin scientist and his team claimed to have solved the puzzle of how giant stars, 300 times the size of the Sun were formed, laying the theory that they are the result of collisions of two stars into a single ultramassive star.
Researchers from the Bonn University in Germany found that the four stars discovered by Nasa in 2010, part of the giant star cluster R136 in the Large Magellanic Cloud, which is about 160,000 light years from Earth, could be the size they are thanks to a few mergers and acquisitions, the Daily Mail said.
Until the discovery of these objects in 2010, observations of the Milky Way and other galaxies suggested that the upper limit for stars formed in the present day universe was about 150 times the mass of the Sun. This value represented a universal limit and appeared to apply wherever stars formed.
Researchers from the Bonn University in Germany found that the four stars discovered by Nasa in 2010, part of the giant star cluster R136 in the Large Magellanic Cloud, which is about 160,000 light years from Earth, could be the size they are thanks to a few mergers and acquisitions, the Daily Mail said.
Until the discovery of these objects in 2010, observations of the Milky Way and other galaxies suggested that the upper limit for stars formed in the present day universe was about 150 times the mass of the Sun. This value represented a universal limit and appeared to apply wherever stars formed.
Epilepsy drug can restore memory in Alzheimer's: study
Scientists have claimed that a commonly prescribed anti-epileptic drug can reverse memory loss and ease other Alzheimer's-related impairments.
Researchers from Gladstone Institutes in San Francisco found how levetiracetam -a drug prescribed for patients who suffer from epilepsy- suppresses abnormal brain activity and restores memory function in a mouse model.
Lennart Mucke from Gladstone conducted the research on mice genetically modified to simulate key aspects of Alzheimer's disease.
"For the millions of people suffering from Alzheimer's worldwide, we have no effective drug to prevent or reverse memory loss- the hallmark symptom of this ultimately fatal disease," said Mucke. "This study builds on our earlier findings linking Alzheimer's and epilepsy. It provides new insights into the processes underlying memory loss in Alzheimer's and demonstrates the ability of an anti-epileptic drug to block these processes," Mucke said in a statement.
Healthy activity in neuronal networks is critical for essential brain functions such as memory. Alzheimer's wreaks havoc on these brain networks, causing disruptions that occasionally escalate into epileptic seizures.
"But whether such neuronal-network disruptions also impair memory was unknown," said Gladstone Postdoctoral Fellow Pascal Sanchez, who is the paper's lead author.
"So we screened seven FDA-approved anti-epileptic medications- including levetiracetam- in our Alzheimer's mouse model to see if minimising these network disruptions could improve memory," Sanchez said.
When the Gladstone scientists administered levetiracetam to the mice, they found that abnormal network activity in their brains dropped by 50 per cent in less than a day.
After two weeks of treatment, the neurons' ability to communicate with each other improved. The mice also showed better learning and memory in a maze test. Finally, the researchers observed that several proteins that are important for healthy brain function returned to normal levels.
The study was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Researchers from Gladstone Institutes in San Francisco found how levetiracetam -a drug prescribed for patients who suffer from epilepsy- suppresses abnormal brain activity and restores memory function in a mouse model.
Lennart Mucke from Gladstone conducted the research on mice genetically modified to simulate key aspects of Alzheimer's disease.
Healthy activity in neuronal networks is critical for essential brain functions such as memory. Alzheimer's wreaks havoc on these brain networks, causing disruptions that occasionally escalate into epileptic seizures.
"But whether such neuronal-network disruptions also impair memory was unknown," said Gladstone Postdoctoral Fellow Pascal Sanchez, who is the paper's lead author.
"So we screened seven FDA-approved anti-epileptic medications- including levetiracetam- in our Alzheimer's mouse model to see if minimising these network disruptions could improve memory," Sanchez said.
When the Gladstone scientists administered levetiracetam to the mice, they found that abnormal network activity in their brains dropped by 50 per cent in less than a day.
After two weeks of treatment, the neurons' ability to communicate with each other improved. The mice also showed better learning and memory in a maze test. Finally, the researchers observed that several proteins that are important for healthy brain function returned to normal levels.
The study was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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