Investigating the antibiotic potentiating activity of a waste product obtained during maple syrup production

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Maple drèche is a filtration residue from the production of maple syrup that is produced at a rate of 1 million pounds in Québec alone yet is commonly discarded, making it a nearly zero-added value by-product. Thus, it is of considerable interest to Canada - the leading global producer of maple syrup - to identify potential commercial applications for maple drèche. With NSERC Engage funding, Professor Nathalie Tufenkji's team at McGill University, in close collaboration with the Federation of Maple Syrup Producers of Quebec (FMSPQ), conducted a successful pilot study demonstrating that: (a) the phenolics present in drèche obtained during maple syrup production are readily extractable, and, (b) that they potentiate (boost) antibiotics. The NSERC Engage project provided critical proof-of-concept data motivating the need for further study and for the potential exploitation of maple syrup drèche phenolics in commercial applications. The general objective of the collaboration is to demonstrate the antibiotic potentiating activity of maple syrup drèche phenolics with different classes of antibiotics relevant to Canadian food animals. The research addresses a critical need to improve our ability to treat bacterial infections while reducing the use of antibiotics in food animals. Our approach involves a series of experiments using well-established microbiological and molecular assays. The project will contribute to the training of a Ph.D. student at McGill University as well as three undergraduate researchers, who will receive support from an experienced Research Associate. Determining the antibiotic potentiating activity of maple syrup drèche phenolics for different antibiotics will be of significant value to the FMSPQ. The expected outcome of this research is a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms by which drèche phenolics can provide benefits. This will enable the FMSPQ to develop new added-value products from a material that is commonly discarded. This will increase profitability for all Canadian maple syrup producers, while contributing to the control of the global spread in antibiotic resistance. **