Skin of Russian Brown frog can lead to new antibiotics

Amphibians secrete antimicrobial substances called peptides through their skin. These compounds make up the majority of their skin secretions and act as a first line of defense against bacteria and other microorganisms that thrive in the wet places frogs, toads, salamanders and other amphibians live.

A previous study identified 21 substances with antibiotic and other potential medical activity on the skin of the Russian Brown frog.

Researcher A T Lebedev's team set out to find more of these potential medical treasures, the Journal of Proteome Research reported.

They used a sensitive laboratory technique to expand the list of such substances on the frogs' skin, identifying 76 additional substances of this kind.

They describe lab tests in which some of the substances performed as well against Salmonella and Staphylococcus bacteria as some prescription antibiotic medicines.

"These peptides could be potentially useful for the prevention of both pathogenic and antibiotic resistant bacterial strains while their action may also explain the traditional experience of rural populations," the scientists concluded.