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

枫糖浆是生产枫糖浆的过滤残渣，仅在魁北克省就以100万磅的速度生产，但通常被丢弃，使其成为几乎零附加值的副产品。因此，加拿大作为全球枫糖浆的主要生产国，对确定枫糖浆的潜在商业应用非常感兴趣。在NSERC Engage的资助下，麦吉尔大学的Nathalie Tufenkji教授的团队与魁北克枫糖浆生产者联合会（FMSPQ）密切合作，进行了一项成功的试点研究，证明：（a）在枫糖浆生产过程中获得的drèche中存在的酚类物质很容易提取，（B）它们增强（增强）抗生素。NSERC Engage项目提供了关键的概念验证数据，激发了进一步研究和在商业应用中开发枫糖浆干酚的需求。该合作的总体目标是证明枫糖浆drèche酚类化合物与加拿大食用动物相关的不同类别抗生素的抗生素增强活性。这项研究解决了提高我们治疗细菌感染的能力，同时减少食用动物中抗生素使用的迫切需要。我们的方法涉及一系列使用成熟的微生物和分子测定的实验。该项目将有助于培养一名博士。麦吉尔大学的一名学生以及三名本科生研究人员，他们将获得一名经验丰富的研究助理的支持。测定枫糖浆干酚类化合物对不同抗生素的抗生素增效活性对FMSPQ具有重要价值。这项研究的预期成果是更好地了解drèche酚类物质可以提供益处的潜在机制。这将使FMSPQ能够从通常被丢弃的材料中开发新的增值产品。这将增加所有加拿大枫糖浆生产商的盈利能力，同时有助于控制抗生素耐药性的全球传播。**

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. **