In Chris’ post yesterday we highlighted the potential for compounds found in tapeworms to offer a boost to the immune system.

Some tastier news comes from Cardiff, where scientists are at work studying honey, tea and hops as sources of antimicrobial compounds.  With resistance to the current generation of antibiotics on the rise and becoming a serious problem in hospitals, there’s an urgent need for new drugs – could the next big cure be hiding in your kitchen cabinet?

Securing patent protection for natural products and their extracts can be tricky, but patents are an essential part of the pharmaceutical commercialisation process.  If you think you’ve discovered the next big thing lurking in your larder, don’t forget to take professional legal advice first!

“Honey has been used for thousands of years to treat wounds and indeed is still used in our hospitals to treat patients with these intractable infections that are not responding to antibiotics”

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-35886340