Antimicrobial properties of the skin secretions of frogs

Antimicrobial resistance results in increased morbidity and mortality, and increased health-care costs. Therefore the need to develop new classes of antibiotics is indispensable. Antimicrobial peptides are a relatively new class of potential antibiotics which are fast acting, possess broad-spectrum...

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Main Authors: Thashlin Govender, Abeda Dawood, Adriaan Esterhuyse, David Katerere
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Academy of Science of South Africa 2012-05-01
Series:South African Journal of Science
Subjects:
Online Access:https://sajs.co.za/article/view/9846
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author Thashlin Govender
Abeda Dawood
Adriaan Esterhuyse
David Katerere
author_facet Thashlin Govender
Abeda Dawood
Adriaan Esterhuyse
David Katerere
author_sort Thashlin Govender
collection DOAJ
description Antimicrobial resistance results in increased morbidity and mortality, and increased health-care costs. Therefore the need to develop new classes of antibiotics is indispensable. Antimicrobial peptides are a relatively new class of potential antibiotics which are fast acting, possess broad-spectrum activity and are able to escape many of the currently known mechanisms of drug resistance. They have been shown to be active against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, fungi, enveloped viruses and even cancer cells. However, toxicity to healthy host cells remains a concern and has affected the clinical development of therapeutics based on antimicrobial peptides. The purpose of this review is to discuss recent advances in research focused on antimicrobial peptides from frogs and the challenges in conducting research in this area in southern Africa. An extensive literature review of relevant articles published between 1980 and the present was conducted using PubMed, ScienceDirect, Sabinet, Elsevier and GoogleScholar. There has been little research done on anurans from southern Africa which are endemic to the region, and there is therefore a need to focus on this group for the purposes of bioprospecting for potentially new antimicrobial peptide compounds.
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spelling doaj-art-5b92a5f7bbd54ef1a01f6868bb2f27f12025-08-20T02:26:00ZengAcademy of Science of South AfricaSouth African Journal of Science1996-74892012-05-011085/66 Pages6 Pages8124Antimicrobial properties of the skin secretions of frogsThashlin Govender0Abeda Dawood1Adriaan Esterhuyse2David Katerere3Department of Biomedical Technology, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape TownNational Zoological Gardens, PretoriaDepartment of Biomedical Technology, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape TownPROMEC Unit, Medical Research Council, Cape TownAntimicrobial resistance results in increased morbidity and mortality, and increased health-care costs. Therefore the need to develop new classes of antibiotics is indispensable. Antimicrobial peptides are a relatively new class of potential antibiotics which are fast acting, possess broad-spectrum activity and are able to escape many of the currently known mechanisms of drug resistance. They have been shown to be active against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, fungi, enveloped viruses and even cancer cells. However, toxicity to healthy host cells remains a concern and has affected the clinical development of therapeutics based on antimicrobial peptides. The purpose of this review is to discuss recent advances in research focused on antimicrobial peptides from frogs and the challenges in conducting research in this area in southern Africa. An extensive literature review of relevant articles published between 1980 and the present was conducted using PubMed, ScienceDirect, Sabinet, Elsevier and GoogleScholar. There has been little research done on anurans from southern Africa which are endemic to the region, and there is therefore a need to focus on this group for the purposes of bioprospecting for potentially new antimicrobial peptide compounds.https://sajs.co.za/article/view/9846anuransouthern africafrog secretionsantimicrobial peptidesbioprospecting
spellingShingle Thashlin Govender
Abeda Dawood
Adriaan Esterhuyse
David Katerere
Antimicrobial properties of the skin secretions of frogs
South African Journal of Science
anuran
southern africa
frog secretions
antimicrobial peptides
bioprospecting
title Antimicrobial properties of the skin secretions of frogs
title_full Antimicrobial properties of the skin secretions of frogs
title_fullStr Antimicrobial properties of the skin secretions of frogs
title_full_unstemmed Antimicrobial properties of the skin secretions of frogs
title_short Antimicrobial properties of the skin secretions of frogs
title_sort antimicrobial properties of the skin secretions of frogs
topic anuran
southern africa
frog secretions
antimicrobial peptides
bioprospecting
url https://sajs.co.za/article/view/9846
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AT abedadawood antimicrobialpropertiesoftheskinsecretionsoffrogs
AT adriaanesterhuyse antimicrobialpropertiesoftheskinsecretionsoffrogs
AT davidkaterere antimicrobialpropertiesoftheskinsecretionsoffrogs