Does Alligator Blood Really Contain Antibiotics?
As strange as it may sound, alligator blood does indeed contain antibiotic components called peptides, and it is hoped that one day these components can be synthesized for treatment of many human diseases and bacterial infections. There is already some preliminary evidence that certain antibiotic peptides found in alligator blood can kill drug-resistant bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA and even the HIV virus associated with AIDS. Research into the antibiotic and other medicinal properties of lizards and amphibians is not new. The recently approved diabetes drug known as Byetta is largely based on the chemical structure of a Gila monster’s saliva, for example. Secretions from frogs and other amphibians have also been studied for their unique medicinal properties. The formal study of alligator blood is said to have originated from observations of alligators in the wild.
