As the very real threat of antibiotic resistance looms, scientists are reeling in a surprising new way to combat drug-resistant pathogens.
Fish “slime” refers to the protective mucus that coats the bodies of fish, shielding the fish from harmful bacteria, fungi and viruses. The viscous substance — a microbiome not unlike what we find in the human body — is also full of polysaccharides and peptides with antibacterial properties.
“Fish mucus is really interesting because the environment the fish live in is complex,” says Oregon State University student Molly Austin, who helped present the report at the American Chemical Society’s spring national meeting and exposition this past weekend. “They are in contact with their environment all the time, with many pathogenic viruses.”
Researchers found 47 different strains of bacteria in the slime, five of which effectively restricted the growth of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) — a very hard-to-treat staph infection or “superbug” — while another three bacterial extracts suppressed the fungus called Candida albicans, which leads to yeast infections. The bacteria found in the slime of the Pacific pink perch in particular was also able to stave off colon carcinoma cells.
Fish slime isn’t the only animal-derived sticky stuff being studied for humans. Scientists in the field of biomimicry look to nature for solutions to man’s problems. Right now, bioengineers at Georgia Tech are studying frog saliva, which is known for its almost physics-defying grip.
Frog tongues flick and catch prey in the blink of an eye, in about 0.04 seconds, but it’s the tongue’s unique glue-like quality — ability to hold onto its prey even at high speeds — that make frogs so lethal to passing insects. Biomimicry researchers hope to learn from the frog’s biology to design more effective adhesives. The slime from the Dusky Arion slug has also inspired surgical glues that work even on wet surfaces.
Meanwhile, for years Korean and South American beauty companies have marketed cosmetics containing Helix aspersa Muller glycoconjugates, otherwise known as snail slime — and it’s not all a bunch of gooey hooey. It contains proteins, glycolic acids and elastins that supposedly reduce wrinkles, boost moisture, quickly heal wounds and smooth skin. Even ancient Greeks used it to reduce skin inflammation.
These days, beauty products containing snail slime can cost hundreds of dollars, such as the EscarGlow Facial designed by Manhattan plastic surgeon Dr. Matthew Schulman. One treatment can run clients upward of $375.
