Rozina Ali, a plastic surgeon, explains that anti-microbial peptides are small proteins-lots of amino acids put together in various configurations. The interesting thing about them to medics is that they are anti-microbial which means that they work against microbes and microbes’ means bacteria, fungi and viruses. She says: “as far as we know so far, there aren’t any organisms which have any resistance to these anti-microbial peptides.”
By scientifically synthesizing these properties and their proteins all sorts of modern synthesized proteins are being discovered which can protect human beings from diseases that are kept active by deadly viruses and bacteria in the body also enabling faster healing of wounds.
There are Good and Bad proteins circulating in many forms on this planet of ours. Take for instance the Bad protein carried by a bird in 1918. That bird transmitted the protein content to a human being who then mutated the protein inside the body and transmitted that same protein in its mutant form to other human beings resulting in the death of some 20 million people. Hard to believe? Absolutely true if, one cares to check out the records for that period. That is why the organizations as varied as the BBC, ABC and reputable doctors in this field have given testimonials praising the power of the protein.
On May 31st, 2000, a documentary aired on BBC entitled The Secret Life of Crocodiles, which was the origin for the discovery of a unique anti-microbial peptide in crocodiles. Jill Fullerton-Smith, a senior producer in the Science Department at BBC, decided to investigate, however, she couldn’t find any scientists in the world working on the immune response of the crocodile and was on the verge of abandoning the idea. She then saw a newspaper article about a biologist who noticed that a frog in his lab had lost a limb and yet within in few days had healed. The biologist now owns a multi-million dollar research company developing the antibiotic they had found in the frog. Jill rang him, and on his advice decided to hire an American microbiologist to look for a particular particle in the blood of the crocodile. Nobody had ever looked for these peptides in the reptile before. Michael Mosley, Executive Producer of Living Proof, agreed to fund a film following the collection of the blood from wild Australian crocodiles and the search for the peptide. An amazing new anti-microbial peptide was discovered in the blood, and the BBC and the university are lodging patent rights. Greg Dyke personally announced the discovery to the world’s press.
This quote from BBC Director-General Greg Dyke describes the manner in which a unique anti-microbial peptide was discovered: “Tonight I can reveal that Living Proof, our science documentary on BBC ONE, has done something very unusual: they’ve actually helped find and isolate a protein which kills resistant bacteria and which could form the basis of a new antibiotic. On a trip to film salt-water crocodiles in Australia, our producer noticed something that surprised her; despite the horrendous injuries the crocs inflict on each other, their wounds rarely get infected. She discussed this with a young croc expert who agreed that it would be interesting to try and find out why. So they set off together to collect blood samples and last week a leading research institute isolated, from these samples, what I’m told is a novel anti-microbial peptide. In tests this substance kills strains of virulent bacteria that are resistant to all standard antibiotics.”
This quote from Dr. James Perran Ross, a croc researcher at the Florida Museum of Natural History, describes the commonplace occurrence of crocodiles surviving traumatic injuries stemming from a unique anti-microbial peptide: “They can sustain the most frightful injuries. In territorial fights they commonly tear each other’s legs off. They go away and sulk for a while and seem to heal up. You often find animals in the wild with missing limbs, missing tails–what must have been very serious injuries. I found one in the wild with the whole of its lower jaw torn off, all healed up and swimming around. It was a bit skinny but had obviously survived that very traumatic event. So I think their inherent toughness is one aspect. They are also long-lived. They routinely live for decades.”
This statement from Animal Planet.com explains in real simple detail exactly why crocodiles don’t suffer from infections: Surprisingly, very few crocodiles seem to suffer from infections. We recently discovered the secret behind their remarkable ability-an anti-microbial peptide in their blood. Crocodiles have one of the most efficient immune systems of any animal we know, which is a real advantage for them living in bacteria-filled water and mud. Wounds are common from fights or injuries from prey, and being able to fight off potential infection is clearly very important. The only time crocodiles suffer from infections is when they can suddenly become susceptible to common bacteria they would normally shrug off. This can be seen in captive crocodiles kept in poor conditions, or wild subordinate or injured crocodiles unable to secure a territory and enough food to survive.