| Despite their reputation for deadly attacks on | | | | the skin and should benefit from the 'super peptides'. |
| humans and pets, alligators are finding their way | | | | "We're very excited about the potential of these |
| toward a new role as potential lifesavers in medicine. | | | | alligator blood proteins as both antibacterial and |
| Biochemists in Louisiana at the 235th national meeting | | | | antifungal agents," says study co-author Mark |
| of the American Chemical Society reported that | | | | Merchant, Ph.D., a biochemist at McNeese State |
| gator blood may provide a source of powerful new | | | | University in Lake Charles, La. "There's a real |
| antibiotics to help fight infections associated with | | | | possibility that you could be treated with an alligator |
| diabetic ulcers, severe burns, and "superbugs" that | | | | blood product one day." |
| are resistant to conventional medication. | | | | When the alligator serum was exposed to HIV the |
| Recently a National Geographic team that studied | | | | researchers found that a good amount of the virus |
| crocodiles in Australia and America reported that an | | | | was destroyed. |
| antidote in crocodiles and alligators kills bacteria which | | | | The study team thinks that pills and creams |
| is normally untreatable with normal antibiotics. | | | | containing reptile peptides could be available at local |
| The crocodile expert, Dr Adam Britton says they are | | | | pharmacies within seven to ten years. But already |
| territorial and often fight each other. When they do, | | | | there is a company in South Africa which has been |
| they can lose limbs and are sometimes left with | | | | producing a skin balm made from crocodile oil since |
| gaping wounds. Regardless of these gruesome | | | | 2005 known as Repcillin. |
| injuries and the fact that their environment is | | | | "It is a 100% natural skin balm and it is available now |
| conducive to serious infection (and possibly death), | | | | but only in small quantities. |
| the crocodiles heal very fast with minimal infection. | | | | Does this mean the end of the crocodile? |
| That proves that they are immune to bacterial | | | | "No" say Repcillin, the manufacturers of crocodile oil |
| infections. | | | | products. "People farm with them for their meat as |
| Scientists took blood samples from crocodiles to | | | | they would with chickens and cattle. The meat is low |
| establish why they don't get sick and found they | | | | in cholesterol and is a delicacy in restaurants all over |
| have what they describe as an "unusual | | | | the world. There is less than 300g fat on a single |
| anti-microbicpeptide". | | | | crocodile. Medicinal crocodile oil is harvested from the |
| Where the new 'super' product has been applied to | | | | fat which is a waste product and normally disposed |
| HIV, West Nile virus and E-coli, these have diminished. | | | | of unless it is used for medical purposes. |
| The problem however is that the product cannot | | | | This natural oil is healing numerous skin problems |
| simply be harvested and injected into humans - the | | | | around the world, but there is not enough available |
| body will immediately realise it is 'foreign' and reject it. | | | | for the mass market. |
| The fat of crocodiles can however be rubbed into | | | | |