© РИА Томск. Павел Стефанский
TOMSK, Dec 11 – RIA Tomsk. The preparation on nanosilver
developed with participation of Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU) scientists
is effective in combating diseases of vanilla orchid and has low toxicity, TPU
professor Alexey Pestryakov reported RIA Tomsk; results of the research
published in Nanomaterials journal, now the medicine can be officially used on
plantations.
"The Nanomaterials journal published the article with the results of
our research, which prove that nanosilver-based drugs developed with the
participation of TPU scientists effectively fight against diseases affecting
vanilla orchid (the plant from which vanillin is made). And the most important
thing – they have low toxicity", – the head of the TPU Research School of
Chemistry & Applied Biomedical Sciences Pestryakov told.
He explained that modern drugs are often toxic: fighting against certain
diseases, they give side effects that are often no less harmful than the main
disease. In addition, viruses and bacteria quickly form resistant strains, and
more and more "slaughter" compounds are needed to fight them.
Nanosilver nanoparticle-based products solve both problems: silver is harmless
to plants (at therapeutic doses), but is effective against pathogens – they
cannot adapt to it.
"Large international group consisting of Russian (Tomsk and Novosibirsk) and
Mexican parts (to which the Spaniards and British have joined) is working on
drugs based on silver nanoparticles. Application range
is very wide: from treatment of a syndrome of diabetic foot at people to fight
against epidemics of a citrus, since nanometallic silver is universal and has a
pronounced antibacterial and antiviral effect", – Pestryakov said.
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According to the professor, crop production – is a separate powerful area in
research into the practical use of "silver" products: they have
successfully treated citrus fruits, sugar cane. The separate research group is
working on the direction of vanilla orchids.
"This is quite expensive, but at the same time quite a capricious
southern plant: the virus can easily destroy the entire plantation. Therefore,
our drug will probably be in demand at farmers in Mexico and South America,
where we are already well known. Now, after the publication of the research
results, our development can officially be applied", – Pestryakov
concluded.