Drug News
Alligator's blood full of antibiotics
By Ben Wasserman
Apr 7, 2008 - 3:17:47 PM

MONDAY April 7, 2008 (foodconsumer.org) -- Alligators' blood may not be snake oil.  New research suggest that their blood may serve as a source of powerful antibiotics for treating infections associated with ulcers, burns and possibly drug resistant superbugs.

Alligators are known to be able to fight germs such as bacteria and viruses without even exposed to them before launching a defense, healthday.com reported.

Researchers from Tufts University School of Medicine found short chain proteins known as peptides from white cells in alligator blood at a very low dose killed a so-called superbug called methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA.

The protein extracts also killed six of eight strains of a fungus known as Candida albicans that can cause a condition known as thrush and other diseases, killing people with weakened or compromised immune system.

The researchers suggested the protein extracts from alligator blood may be used to develop an antibiotic for topical use.  They called the antibiotics alligacin.

But they cautioned that this is a preliminary laboratory study and more research needs to be done to confirm the efficacy of alligator's blood protein extracts as an antibiotic in humans.

The results were presented on April 6 at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society in New Orleans.