Scientists Supercharge Vinegar To Kill Deadly Superbugs

Vinegar combined with nanoparticles killed resistant bacteria. The method may aid in fighting antimicrobial resistance.

Chronic wounds that fail to heal are often the result of bacterial infections, posing serious risks for older adults as well as individuals with diabetes, cancer, or other medical conditions.

Vinegar, known scientifically as acetic acid, has been used as a disinfectant for centuries. However, its effectiveness is limited since it can only kill a narrow range of bacteria and is ineffective against some of the most dangerous strains.

An international research team from the University of Bergen in Norway, QIMR Berghofer in Australia, and Flinders University in Australia has now demonstrated a way to strengthen vinegar’s antibacterial properties. By combining acetic acid with antimicrobial nanoparticles composed of carbon and cobalt, they created a treatment with significantly greater bacterial-killing power. Their findings appear in the journal ACS Nano.

Nanoparticles and enhanced antibacterial action

Molecular biologists Dr Adam Truskewycz and Professor Nils Halberg showed that these nanoparticles were capable of killing several harmful bacterial species, and their effectiveness increased when paired with a dilute vinegar solution.

In their experiments, the researchers mixed cobalt-based carbon quantum dot nanoparticles with weak acetic acid to produce a powerful antimicrobial agent. This formulation was tested against multiple pathogens, including the drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli (E. coli), and Enterococcus faecalis.

According to Dr Truskewycz, the acidic conditions created by vinegar caused bacterial cells to swell, which allowed the nanoparticles to penetrate more effectively and attack the bacteria.

How the treatment works

“Once exposed, the nanoparticles appear to attack dangerous bacteria from both inside the bacterial cell and also on its surface, causing them to burst. Importantly, this approach is non-toxic to human cells and was shown to remove bacterial infections from mice wounds without affecting healing,” he said.

Vinegar and cobalt-containing nanoparticles – animation. Credit: QIMR Berghofer

The anti-bacterial boost in vinegar found in the study could potentially be an important contribution towards the ongoing battle against the rising antimicrobial resistance levels worldwide, with an estimated 4.5 million deaths associated with a direct infectious disease.

Implications for antimicrobial resistance

Professor Halberg said this study showed how nanoparticles could be used to increase the effectiveness of traditional bacterial treatments.

“Combination treatments such as the ones highlighted in this study may help to curb antimicrobial resistance. Given this issue can kill up to 5 million people each year, it’s vital we look to find new ways of killing pathogens like viruses, bacteria and fungi or parasites,” he said.

Reference: “Cobalt-Doped Carbon Quantum Dots Work Synergistically with Weak Acetic Acid to Eliminate Antimicrobial-Resistant Bacterial Infections” by Adam Truskewycz, Benedict Choi, Line Pedersen, Jianhua Han, Melanie MacGregor and Nils Halberg, 8 September 2025, ACS Nano.
DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.5c03108

Never miss a breakthrough: Join the SciTechDaily newsletter.
Follow us on Google and Google News.