Nicotine-Degrading Bacteria Identified

Chinese and U.S. scientists have identified a bacteria in the human stomach that can degrade nicotine, reports the Xinhua News Agency, citing a new study published in Nature.

A colony of gut bacteria was found to have reduced intestinal nicotine concentrations in nicotine-exposed mice. 

Nicotine is known to activate an intestinal molecule called AMPKα. These molecules contribute to the progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), according to the study. 

The authors suggest that Bacteroides xylanisolvens can help reduce smoking-exacerbated NAFLD progression.

The study involved researchers from Peking University, Zhejiang University, Fudan University, the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University and the U.S. National Institutes of Health.