Alligator Blood As An Antibiotic?
Scientists in the US have discovered that proteins in alligator blood could be a powerful source of antibiotics for use against superbugs that are resistant to conventional drugs, and for treating serious infections and burn
The discovery was presented at the 235th national meeting of the American Chemical Society currently taking place in New Orleans, Louisiana, from April 6th to 10th.
The research that led to the discovery was the work of Dr Mark Merchant, a biochemist at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and co-investigators Drs Kermit Murray and Lancia Darville, both of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, and other colleagues.
An alligator’s immune system has the unusual ability of combating microorganisms such as fungi, viruses, and bacteria even if it has not been exposed to them before.
Merchant and colleagues also tested the potency of alligator blood proteins against Candida albicans, and found it killed six of the eight different strains of the yeast. In previous studies the investigators had already suggested that these proteins could also work against HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
Suggesting that the the blood of alligator relatives like the crocodile may have similar antimicrobial properties, Merchant said he planned to study the disease fighting properties of blood from both reptile families throughout the world.
