Is there really a substance in crocodile blood that can fight bacteria?

Answer 1

There very well could be. I found this article to be really fascinating. Here's an excerpt

Alligators and crocodiles, like humans, have a natural defence system against invading bacteria, viruses and fungi, which involves a group of proteins called the complement system.

When Dr Merchant exposed the alligator blood to pathogens such as HIV, West Nile Virus and E Coli, it started to kill them.

"It turns out that this complement system is much more effective than ours.

"But there is really no clinical utility because I can't isolate them from alligators and inject them into your veins because your body would recognise that it was not human."

Instead, he hopes to be able find something in the crocodile and alligator blood that can be mimicked in a drug, and has begun to look at white blood cells - the cells that flock to fight invading pathogens.

White blood cells make and release tiny proteins to fight the infection and Dr Merchant believes that, if he can isolate these from the animals, it might point a way to making new antibiotics and antiviral drugs for humans.

Answer 2

Last Update: Tuesday, August 16, 2005. 8:02am (AEST)

Researchers from Crocodylus Park in Darwin take a blood sample from a saltwater crocodile. (ABC)

Crocodile blood may yield new antibiotics
Scientists in the Northern Territory are collecting blood from crocodiles to help develop new antibodies for humans.

Researchers from Darwin's Crocodylus Park and the US are collecting blood samples from crocodiles to isolate the powerful antibodies that protect the reptiles from serious infection.

They say crocodiles often lose limbs in territorial fighting but rarely succumb to disease.

Professor Mark Merchant, a biochemist from Louisiana, hopes to isolate the antibody chemicals that could be reproduced for human drugs.

"If it went on the market we wouldn't isolate them from crocodile blood, we would synthesise those," he said.

"We determine the structure of that molecule and we can even play games with that molecule, maybe to make it more effective, but the base molecule is in the white blood cells we think, of the saltwater crocodile."

Dr Adam Britton says the antibodies' protein could be used for a new class of antibiotics.

"Don't expect to go down the chemist in the next few months and see you know, 'crocodilian' that you can take as a tablet," he said.

"But when you do finally see something on the shelves - and hopefully we will in the future - then you can be safe in the knowledge that Northern Territory crocodiles were a big part of that equation."

Answer 3

actual a croc. A crocodile can swim less than the water and walk on land.yet a lion does no longer rather have any safe practices. The crocodile has a tricky armor like dermis and thats why it is going to win so in simple terms say the lion is going for a drink, the crocodile would bypass in for the kill. also i evaluate the crocodile has a jaw lock variety of element