Researchers say ointment could become standard medication, but long path ahead; chemical ‘jams’ communication between bacteria at injury site, making healing easier.

Israeli scientists say they have used a natural chemical to make pigs’ wounds heal twice as fast as they otherwise would. They hope to be able to develop the substance for human use, and claim it could also become “an antibiotics alternative of the future.”

Diindolylmethane (DIM) is found in broccoli, cauliflower, and other vegetables. A Ben Gurion University research team studied its impact on bacteria in lab conditions, and found that it harms their ability to function.

As reported by The Times of Israel
Image source: Katarzyna Bialasiewicz; iStock by Getty Images