Compound from medicinal herb kills brain-eating amoebae in lab studies

(American Chemical Society) Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a deadly disease caused by the " brain-eating amoeba " Naegleria fowleri, is becoming more common in some areas of the world, and it has no effective treatment. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Chemical Neuroscience have found that a compound isolated from the leaves of a traditional medicinal plant, Inula viscosa or " false yellowhead, " kills the amoebae by causing them to commit cell suicide in lab studies, which could lead to new treatments.
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news