Australian scientists have discovered that a protein found in the haemolymph of the Sydney rock oyster can kill bacteria and enhance antibiotic effectiveness.
The protein was effective at killing bacteria like Streptococcus pneumoniae and improved the effectiveness of antibiotics by two- to 32-fold against multiple resistant strains.
The study's co-author, Prof Kirsten Benkendorff, emphasized the need for more research to purify the protein and understand its mechanisms before clinical applications.
Cooking the oysters reduces the antimicrobial activity of the protein, and it's uncertain if digesting it whole could effectively combat infections.
Collection
[
|
...
]