Following up on an ancient Russian way of keeping milk from
going sour — by putting a frog in the bucket of milk — scientists have
identified a wealth of new antibiotic substances in the skin of the Russian
Brown frog. The study appears in ACS’ Journal of Proteome Research.
A.T.Lebedev and colleagues explain that 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 on the skin of the Russian Brown frog 21 substances with antibiotic
and other potential medical activity. Lebedev’s team set out to find more of
these potential medical treasures.