Tormentil wildflower offers new angle against antibiotic-resistant superbugs

A Southampton-led study finds tormentil, a small yellow bogland wildflower, slows the growth of the drug-resistant bacterium Acinetobacter baumannii and may boost the effectiveness of the last-resort antibiotic colistin. The researchers identified two active compounds, agrimoniin and ellagic acid, that starve bacteria of iron, with consistent antimicrobial activity across three Irish bogs, suggesting potential for plant-based drug development—though translating these findings into safe, effective medicines will require extensive further work.