Antibacterial proteins found in the blood of Australian oysters could help fight superbugs, new research suggests.
Australian scientists have discovered that proteins in the hemolymph (equivalent to blood) of Sydney rock oysters Saccostrea glomerata, It can kill the bacteria itself and increase the effectiveness of some traditional antibiotics.
Antimicrobial resistance has been described as a ‘looming global health crisis’ and unless urgent action is taken, key drugs could become ineffective by 2050, leading to a decline in longevity and quality of life. There is.
In clinical tests, only hemolymph proteins were effective at killing bacteria pneumococcusIt mainly causes pneumonia. Streptococcus pyogenesthe cause of strep throat and scarlet fever. It has not yet been tested in animals or humans.
When used in combination with antibiotics such as ampicillin and gentamicin, its effectiveness against bacteria such as: Staphylococcus aureus (Golden Stuff) and Pseudomonas aeruginosaoften infecting immunocompromised people.
Co-author of the study, Professor Carsten Benckendorff from Southern Cross University, said around 20 oysters contain enough hemolymph to provide an effective amount of protein for the average person. Estimate but purify the protein and understand how it works.
“I discovered that heating works.” [the protein] Cooking will actually make it less effective because the antibacterial activity will be reduced,” Benckendorff said.
However, unlike many conventional antibiotics, antimicrobial proteins can be broken down by the digestive system before reaching their target site, so it is unclear whether eating this protein is effective.
“If you have a serious infection, I would never recommend eating oysters instead of taking antibiotics,” Benckendorff says.
“Oysters are filter feeders, so they’re constantly sucking in bacteria from inside their bodies,” making them good candidates for finding new antibiotics, he said, but they’re also good candidates for finding new antibiotics, but they can’t be found in places like near storm drains. This also means that there is a possibility that harmful substances may accumulate. May be harmful to humans if ingested.
Benckendorff said the protein could be useful in treating respiratory infections where biofilms make common antibiotics ineffective.
To protect themselves, infectious bacteria often form biofilms, sticky communities that allow them to successfully evade antibiotics and the human immune system.
Oyster hemolymph protein was effective for the following symptoms: streptococcus Scientists have discovered biofilms.
“We often think of bacteria just floating around in the blood, but in reality, many of them are attached to surfaces,” Benckendorff said. “The benefit of having something that disrupts biofilms is that … it stops all the bacteria from attaching to the surface, where they can be released into the bloodstream and attacked by antibiotics.”
Professor Jonathan Iredell, an infectious diseases physician and clinical microbiologist at the University of Sydney, who was not involved in the study, said oyster proteins belong to a class of compounds called antimicrobial peptides. “We’re very excited because these discoveries often involve interesting kinds of mechanisms that we haven’t seen before.”
He said the study added to an “exciting field that is looking at different classes of natural antimicrobials to offer new perspectives in the face of ongoing bacterial adaptation.” .
Professor Branwen Morgan, who leads the CSIRO’s mission to minimize antimicrobial resistance, described the protein’s properties as “a very interesting discovery given that biofilms are so problematic”.
Morgan was not involved in the research, but given the rise in drug-resistant infections around the world, treatments that have the potential to reduce reliance on traditional antibiotics are worth pursuing. He said there is.
“Given the high costs of developing new drugs, the idea of using excess and/or incomplete oysters to generate a sustainable supply of antimicrobial proteins should be further investigated.” she said.
The study was published in the journal Pro Swan.
