USE OF ZOOTHERAPEUTICS (ANIMAL-BASED REMEDIES) IN HEALTH CARE:TRADITIONAL HEALING WITH ANIMALS (ZOOTHERAPY) 

 

Zootherapeutics (Animal-based remedies)

 

Natural resources (plants, animals, minerals and microbes) are the richest source of medicinal agents based on the belief and observations regarding their folk and traditional uses for the prevention and cure of different diseases. A large number of research findings and the data are utilized by the scientific community in evaluating and establishing the pharmacological activities of these natural resources. Healing with animal parts or products is called Zootherapy. Animal based therapeutic agents are usually obtained from the animal body parts, metabolic products and other bodily secretions as well as non-animal materials such as nests and cocoons etc. Zootherapy is very popular among ancient cultures throughout the world.

 

Historical evidences of Zootherapy

 

Using animals as a medicinal agent is reported throughout the history [2]. Snakes have been considered as a sign of medicine and healing both by virtue of its associations with God of Medicine (Asclepius) and God of Health (Hygeia) in Greek mythology (B.C. 2000-400) [3] . Discussing the historical evidences of Zootherapy, Ebers Papyrus (written around 1550 B.C.) contain medicinal uses of birds, beasts, insects, reptiles, fish, eggs, milk, etc. and excrements of living animals blood, flesh, bones, fat, marrow and hide of carcasses, the shell of the tortoise, feathers of birds, the slough of snakes and the quills of the porcupine, entire body of insects and worms, brain, eyes, feet, gall, hair, head, heart, hoofs, horns, jawbone, legs, liver, spleen, teeth, testicles, uterus and vulva of ordinary animals were used as medicine. Grease or fat of the goose and ox were employed in a large number of medical recipes. Ancient mesopotamia, mainly the Assyrian and the Babylonian texts contain medicinal use of fish oil, honey and bee wax, turtle shell, mongoose blood, skin of goat, sheep and deer, bird excrement and animal fat. Compendium of Materia Medica written by Li Schizhen in 1578 A.D. contain the medicinal use of bear gallbladder and bear fat as a medicine. Ancient Ayurvedic literatures, Sharaka Samhita (900 B.C.), contains 380 and Sushruta Samhita (600 B.C.) described 57 drugs of animal origin as therapeutic agents such as honey, milk and its derivatives, bones, bone marrow, fat, bile, blood, feces, flesh, urine, semen, skin, ligaments, shell, feathers and horn. Dioscorides in De Materia Medica book II mentioned zootherapeutics domestic animals, fishes, birds, insects and products of larger animals such as butter, milk, cheese, wool, fat, wax, marrow, blood, gall and the excrements. The entire body of cantharid beetles, grubs, earthworms, millipedes, cockroaches was crushed, dried, burned or cooked and applied in the form of a powder, salve, poultice; cockroaches are ground up in an oil and used for ear ache. Similarly millipedes are taken internally with wine and for kidney trouble and epilepsy [2] . Zoo-therapeutic is based on indigenous knowledge system built up by a group of people through generations, by living in close contact with the nature and use of traditional drugs of animal origin in the local environment so that it is specifically adapted to the local people and conditions. This plays an important role in the healing practices, of both indigenous and western societies throughout the world [4]. Not only the ancient systems but also the modern medical system utilizes animal based medicines [1]. In modern world, zootherapy is an important alternative mode of therapy among many other known therapies practiced in different parts of the world. Domestic and wild animals and also their by-products (e.g., bones, skins, hooves, feathers) are important ingredients in the preparation of protective, preventive and curative medicines. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), more than 1500 animal species are listed for different medicinal uses. While in India about 15–20% of the Ayurvedic medicine is based on animal and animal-derived substances [5]. There is a strong connection between medical ethnozoology of ancient and modern times as the combination of bull’s bile and honey, a classical Hippocratic remedy for intestinal constipation, remains functional till today

ANIMAL BASED MEDICINES

Traditionally animals have been used as a medicinal resource for the treatment of various ailments. The fats obtained from the animals were used for therapeutic purposes. The different therapeutic activity of animal oils was mainly due to the unsaturated fatty acids. Knowing about the therapeutic uses of animal fats helps in the development of different formulations. Bird’s oils like oil obtained from ostrich are having antiinflammatory activity and are used in ulcerative colitis, mucositis and

psoriasis. Crocodile oil is traditionally used to treat microbial infection and inflammatory conditions, used topically in contact dermatitis. The depot fat obtained from the cobra oil is having cytotoxic and are traditional remedies in skin care. Sheep fat is indicated for cracking skin, burns, frostbites and skin infections. Squalene present in shark oil is responsible for anti- tumor activity. The oil is also recommended in patient suffering from atopic dermatitis. Python fat oil is effectively used in the treatment of rheumatism, boils, keloids and broken bones etc. Spiny tailed lizards; a unique herbivorous reptile found mainly in the arid zones of India is used as an aphrodisiac. Peter’s lava lizard is widely used as a popular medicine to treat alcoholism wart, boils, sore throat and to treat umbilical cord of new born babies. Several other animal oils are also used as medicines. Obtained from Bubalus bubalis (buffalo wax), Ancer ancer (goose), Camellia japonica (camel), Sus scrofa (hog), Vulpes sp.(fox), Capra hireus (goat), Equus caballus (horse wax), Moschus moschiferus (musk deer), Ovis (lamb), Spalax leucodon ehrenbergi (mole), worm, fish etc. In the world many cultures still depends on traditional medicine for primary health care. Traditional medicines have been relied upon to support, promote, retain and regain human health. According to world health organisation (2008) report about 80% of the populations in some African and Asian countries are depends on traditional medicines for primary healthcare. Use of traditional medicine is equally significant in the developed countries; nearly 70-80% of the population has been used some form of “alternative or complementary” medicine. Traditional medicine mainly depends on herbal treatment, animals or animal derived products are also used. It has been reported that more than half of the world’s modern drugs are of biological resources and out of 252 that has been selected by WHO as essential to human health, 8.7% comes from the animals sources (Marques J G, 1997). From this, animals have been playing a significant role in healing process, folk rituals and religious practices.

The modern system of practice finds importance in the use of animal fats and oil which leads to the development in the field of medicine. Several therapeutic products can be developed from these fats. Traditionally animals have been used as medicinal resources for various ailments throughout the world. Various folk medicines were derived from animal body parts, from products of its metabolism or from non- animal material.10 The healing of human ailments by using therapeutics that are obtained from animals or ultimately are derived from them is known as zootherapy and this is performed by a trained and qualified zootherapist.8 Animal products that is being used traditionally includes the blood of the black caiman (Melanosuchus niger) is used to treat epilepsy and stroke. Ants of the genus Pseudomyrmex are used in toothache or are left to bite painful joints. Fats of the lion (Panthera leo) and hyena (Crocut a crocuta) are used topically to alleviate abdominal pains.6 Tusks of hippo are used as aphrodisiacs and ornamentals; the fat extracted from manatee (Trichechus senegalensis) used to cure rheumatism, boils and backache.11 According to traditional Chinese medicine, earthworm possess antipyretic, antispasmodic, diuretic, antihypertensive, antiallergic, anti- asthmatic, detoxicant and spermatocidal effect as well as alleviation of Rheumatism.8 In traditional Chinese medicines, great varieties of animal fats are being used for divergent therapeutic purposes, some of which are even related to tissue regeneration.12 One of the important principles for the ancient healers in China is that they believe food and therapeutic agents coexist. Fats could be obtained both from domestic and wild animals. Domestic animals used include cow and bull, sheep, pig, donkey and the main wild animals used are deer, shark, snake, bear, frog etc.

 

THERAPEUTICALLY USED ANIMAL FATS AND OILS

 

Ostrich Oil

 

Ostrich (Struthio camelus) is a species of large flightless bird native to hot countries like Thailand and Australia. It belongs to the family Struthionidae. Oil is obtained from its adipose tissue which is rich in triglycerides and essential fatty acids like alpha-linolenic acid and linoleic acid. Due to the presence of these essential fatty acids the oil is well known for its nutritional, cosmetic and pharmaceutical uses. It has a very good free radicle scavenging activity and the capability of oil in defending membranes from oxidative stress is related to its fatty acid composition, Vitamins and amino acids.14 The presence of antioxidants makes it a healthy food and various other compounds such as carotenoids, tocopherol and flavones show therapeutic benefits. Oil is also having an anti- inflammatory, antibacterial activity and is considered as a good skin protectant.15 Oil can be prepared by rendering which is regarded as the most conventional method and this can be done in two ways classical method and developed processing method. In classical processing method, oil obtained by rendering the adipose tissue at high temperature without adherent tissue cleaning and drying step while in developed processing method, tissue was cleaned and dried and rendered at low temperature. The dominant fatty acids present in both the oils obtained include lauric acid, oleic acid, palmitic acid, followed by stearic acid, myristic acid and lauric acid.

 

Emu oil

 

The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity was shown by emu oil which is obtained from emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) native to Australia. This activity was mainly due to the polyunsaturated fatty acids. The liquid fat of emu can be used topically for various ailments such as wound healing, to alleviate pain and for mucoskeletal disorder. Apart from the medicinal use, it also has nutritional and health benefits.17 They also have moisturizing and cosmetic properties. Emu meat is low in cholesterol and the different 3 and 6 fatty acids present are α -linolenic acid, linoleic acid, arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acid which serve as a good source of nutrition. The chicken and beef meat contain less amount of polyunsaturated fatty acid than emu meat.18 The various activities of emu oil include, it has been used as an alternative therapy for chemotherapy induced mucositis, inflammatory bowel disease such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease can be treated by emu oil through its ability to enhance repair process.19 Auricular inflammation has been decreased by emu oil, osteoporosis caused by cancer chemotherapy can be reduced by non-glyceride components of emu oil. The total cholesterol (TC) and low density lipoprotein (LDL) are reduced by emu oil and showed hypocholesterolemia activity. It stimulates skin and hair growth by topical or parenteral administration. Non irritating nature of emu oil provides moisturizing and cosmetic properties along with good penetrating ability. Emu oil can be used as a transdermal vehicle or penetration enhancer. Topically applied emu oil act as an excellent insect repellent. Emu oil was also effective in psoriasis.

 

Crocodile oil

The antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties of crocodile obtained from the Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) was used by traditional practitioners to treat microbial infections and inflammatory conditions. Gas chromatography was performed for determining the fatty acid composition. The major components of oil include oleic acid, palmitic acid and linoleic acid along with sixteen other fatty acids. Activity of the oil against Staphylococcus aureus, klebsiella pneumonia and candida albicans was done by micro plate method. The antiinflammatory activity of the oil was assessed by oral administration and topical application using a mouse of acute croton oil induced contact dermatitis. The anti-inflammatory assays showed optimal activity at three hours after the administration of oil (60.8%) and at twelve hours after topical application (57.5%). The anti-inflammatory assay showed longer duration of action after topical application when compared with oral administration of oil.21 Paleosuchus palpebrosus also known as Cuvier’s smooth fronted Caiman, Dwarf Caiman is the smallest crocodilian species mainly found in the neotropical region and also in the Amazon and Orinoco River. Atlantic coast waste drainage area.22 The presence of a crest crown on the posterior region of the head is the striking feature of this species. The products obtained from the species is used in the treatment of diseases or conditions like asthma, thrombosis, rheumatism, edema, mycosis, sore throat and as an antidote for snake bite.

 

Cobra oil

 

Oil is obtained from the depot fat of Naja kaouthia, a cobra oil. Snake oils have been used as traditional remedies in skin care and many diseases and cobra oil was traditionally used in Thailand. It is also used to prevent excessive hair loss, migraine and in treating fractured bone.24 The obtained depot fat was cut and blended and then it was incubated at 37°C. The oil was extracted through simple methods and fatty acid composition was determined using GC-MS. Unsaturated fatty acids were found to be higher than that of saturated fatty acids that is, 55.16% and 26.29% respectively.25 The dominant fatty acid present in cobra oil was palmitic acid, followed by vaccenic acid and linoleic acid.13 Antioxidant activity of cobra oil was detected by DPPH free radical scavenging and found out that the oil could inhibit free radical scavenging. Investigations on cytotoxicity effect of oil on cancer line cells was done by MTT assay for which three cancer cells KATO-3, HepG2 and SW620 were treated with various concentrations for 24, 48 and 72 hr of incubation and declining of cell counts was noticed and showed that some of the fatty acids components in cobra oil was responsible for its activity.

 

Turtle oil

 

Phrynops geoffroanus is South American Turtle mainly found in lakes, rivers and stream with a carnivorous diet. The oil obtained from the body fat of this animal is used traditionally to treat illness such as sore throat, mumps, rheumatism, arthritis and is the oil is also having antimicrobial activity.26 The specimen is collected and anesthetized using ketamine, sacrificed and their body fat was removed and the oil was extracted with hexane using Soxhlet apparatus. The determination of fatty acid was done by GC-MS and the main components were found to be palmitoleic and oleic acid (58.39% and 15.7% respectively).27 Anti-inflammatory action was tested in certain strains of bacteria and the anti-microbial activity was proved. The antimicrobial activity is due to the presence of above unsaturated fatty acid.26 Phrynops tuberosusis, commonly called as Peter’s side necked turtle generally found in Guyana, the south eastern portion of Venezuela, Suriname, French Guyana, the eastern Amazon basin and in areas of northeastern Brazil. The species is widely used as food and is a popular medicine for treating asthma, sore throat, swelling, earache, rheumatism and arthritis.27 Indian turtle, Erthmochelies imbricata is mainly found in the Bay of Bengal least coast of Madras state. The fat obtained from its body was refined and freed of phosphatides. Then it was hydrolyzed and the preliminary separation of the mixed fatty acids into groups differing in unsaturation was done by Lead salt-ethanol and Lithium salt-acetone methods. Ester fractionation procedure was used for finding compositions of resulting fractions. The major fatty acids present in it was found to be myristic acid (10%) and 15% of palmitic acid.

 

Sheep fat

 

It is obtained from tails of domestic sheep, Ovis aries by directly removing the fat content and oil can be prepared using rendering methods. The main fatty acids present in sheep oil includes palmitic acid (28–29 %), stearic acid (13–15 %), myristic acid (3–4%) and other unsaturated fatty acids. On comparison with cow fat sheep fat appears harder and contains more saturated fatty acids.29 Generally, it is used for soothing “toxicity,” debilitation, diarrhea, constipation and polydipsia. Externally sheep fat is indicated for cracking skin, burns, frostbites and skin infection. It is contraindicated for those suffering from common cold with cough and sputum. The sheep fat is effectively used in treating damage induced knee articular joint with formalin.

 

Shark fat

 

The shark oil is taken from the liver s of the sharks, which are heated to give the oil. Shark fat contains a rich supply of squalene, alkylglycerols, Vitamins A and D as well as polyunsaturated fatty acids in low amounts. It is believed that shark oil might have anti-cancer effects since these constituents are modulators of immunity and alkylglycerols and squalene are responsible for anti-tumor activity via different mechanisms like induction of apoptosis of neoplastic cells, suppression of signal transduction, inhibition of angiogenesis and promoting transmembrane transport of cytotoxic agents. In the past decades, this marine item has been used as an oral agent for the treatment of different types of cancer. Cancers arising from the upper gastrointestinal tract, namely, esophagus and stomach are believed to the able to get the best benefits. They have also been recommended in patients suffering from atopic dermatitis.

 

Python fat

 

Python fat can be extracted from various wild python species like Python sebae, Python molurus, Python tigris etc. and it is seen to have a golden yellow color which turns to pale yellow on standing.28 It has proven its effectiveness in the treatment of rheumatism, boils, keloids and broken bones etc.25 In the case of keloids, which exhibit excessive collagen deposition, python fat has shown to decrease the collagen accumulation possibly with increased collagenase activity. This was demonstrated through in-vitro studies on keloid tissues from patients which were surgically removed and treated with python fat, revealed a successive decrease in me a collagen concentration and dose dependent increase in collagenase activity with increasing amount of python fat.28 Python regius, smallest non-venomous python species found in Africa. The fat obtained from them, had a hypoglycemic potential and the effect was studied by treating alloxan induced diabetic rats with different concentrations of fat for 14 days. There was a decrease in blood glucose levels in the experimental rats after its oral administration concluding its hypo- glycemic effect.

 

 Lizard fat

 

Indian Spiny- tailed lizard Saara hardwickii is a unique herbivorous reptile that belongs to the family Uromastycidae.32 The species is found in patches across the arid zones in India, Afghanistan and Pakistan. In India, it is distributed mostly throughout Thar Desert of Rajasthan and Gujarat and it is the only herbivorous lizard in India.33 Lizards can be identified through natural marks in their body which includes stripes blotches in young, body notches, broken tails and sloughed skin.34 Oil is mainly obtained from its skin and tail. It is mainly used as an aphrodisiac and also has other medicinal uses.32 Peter’s lava lizard (Tropidurus hispidus) is a small sized animal belonging to the family Tropiduridae. This species is mainly found in northeastern Caatinga and in the open areas in the northern portion of the Amazon River. It is widely used as a popular medicine to treat alcoholism, dermatomycosis, warts, boils, sore throat and to treat umbilical cord of newborn babies.

 

FORMULATED ANIMAL OILS AND FATS

 

Crocodile oil burn ointment

 

A novel ointment formulation crocodile oil burn ointment (COBO) was developed to provide more efficient burn wound healing activity. It also has significant antinociceptive and anti -inflammatory activity. Crocodile oil was extracted from the fatty tissue of crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis) and it was traditionally used for the treatment of various ailments such as skin rashes and to promote wound healing. Mainly the practice of healing was observed in traditional Chinese and south east medicine. The fatty acid present in oil was palmitic acid, oleic acid and linoleic acid. The experiment was carried by developing an ointment and burn wound was carried out in Wilstar albino rats by inducing a deep secondary burn wound. It was then observed for burn wound, healing and antiinflammatory activity. The results showed that the COBO would enhance the burn wound healing as well as accelerates skin regeneration and growth of hair follicles. It also has an analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity.

 

 Lipid emulsion containing fish oil

Intravenous lipid emulsion (ILE) containing fish oil has been approved to use in US. It’s lower triglyceride concentration, inflammatory markers and liver function enzymes and improves morbidity and mortality outcomes in critically ill surgical patients. In earlier studies showed that soya bean oil was used instead of fish oil which causes mortality in surgically ill patients. So, an alternative fish oil intravenous lipid emulsion (FOILE) was developed and could improve patient care for surgical patients. FOILE has found to be safer, improved the outcomes and it was an alternative standard of care.

 

Ostrich oil based nano emulsion

The oil was obtained from fats of Struthio camelus belonging to the family Struthionidae, having anti-inflammatory activity. Different fatty acids such as linoleic acid, palmitic acid, linolenic acid, oleic acid was present in the oil. Oleic acid present in it helps in penetration of the oil deeply into the tissues. Nano emulsions are colloidal particulate system, transparent clear and thermally stable emulsion of oil, surfactant and co surfactant with size of globules 100 nm. The experiment was carried out by developing a formulation of nano emulsion using ostrich oil.5 The prepared nano emulsion was assessed for various physiochemical parameters. In vitro inflammatory studies were carried out in male Wistar rats by carrageenan induced paw edema. The results showed that novel preparation accelerated the anti-inflammatory activity.

 

 Emu oil based Nano Emulgel

Emu oil was derived from the emu bird (Dromaius novaehollandiae) and it showed anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anesthetic, antioxidant activity. Most of fatty acids in emu oil are unsaturated and the major one is oleic acid. Curcumin is a yellow colored phenolic pigment along with other curcuminoids like dimethoxy curcumin, bisdemethoxy curcumin curcumin in the rhizomes of Curcuma longa (Zingiberaceae). Curcumin shows a spectrum of activities like anti-inflammatory, antihyperlipidemic, anticancer, antiviral, antimicrobial, antispasmodic activities. The experiment involves the preparation of curcumin loaded Nano emulsion by dissolving curcumin in emu oil and then incorporated into Carbopol gel for the convenient application by topical route. The emu oil based curcumin nanogels for transdermal delivery of curcumin was a suitable approach to bypass the first pass metabolism. Thus, its synergistic activity accelerated the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and analgesic activity in joint synovium and ameliorates arthritis.

 

 

The following is a list of animals that have contributed to medicine.

(EXCERPTS FROM- abcnews.go.com/Health/AmazingAnimals)

Frog Skin Antibiotics

Sir Alexander Fleming’s discovery of penicillin in 1929, a happy accident, marked a new era of medicine in which antibacterial drugs offered new protection against many formerly fatal infections, including pneumonia, scarlet fever and venereal disease. But for the rest of the animal kingdom, this was nothing new.

“Every animal, from the simplest hydra to man, makes antimicrobial peptides,” said Dr. Michael Zasloff, a professor of surgery at the Transplant Institute at the Georgetown University School of Medicine. “They serve to protect us and to live in harmony with bacteria.”

Zasloff knows animals can protect themselves with antimicrobials because of a happy accident of his own. While conducting research using frog eggs at the National Institutes of Health in the 1980s, Zasloff noticed that the sutures on the female frog abdomens, following ovary removal, healed without becoming infected, even in their non-sterile tanks.

“In their skin, these animals stored high concentrations of powerful antibiotics of a particular type — antimicrobial peptides,” Zasloff said.

These compounds, evolved since the beginning of life on Earth, can be far more effective than conventional antibacterial medications because they recognize microbe membranes rather than microbial proteins and enzymes. Altering the membrane to develop resistance is far more difficult for bacteria and fungi than altering a protein.

Cases where this system fails and the body overreacts to microbes results in illnesses like Crohn’s disease or cystic fibrosis.

Based on the antimicrobial proteins he found in frog skin, Zasloff completed a large phase three clinical trial on diabetic patients who get diabetic ulcers on their feet to see if a topical antimicrobial ointment would be effective against those infections. The trial was successful but the FDA requested another study on the ointment in the absence of other drug use by the study subjects. Zasloff put further experiments on hold but said a private company has taken charge of further experiments.

Leeches

You can find them in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics — Napoleon Bonaparte once decreed that all hospitals could not be without them and they even helped save limbs during the Vietnam War.

This ancient medic of the animal world has been used by man for thousands of years; it also happens to be a slimy bloodsucker that can eat ten times its own body weight in blood.

Today, medicinal leeches are used after severe trauma to help reattach digits, close wounds and help mend skin after plastic surgery.

There are approximately 650 species of these fresh water worms but only one, Hirudo Medicinalis, is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for medical use.

The approved leeches are the perfect size — unlike Amazon leeches which would take more than their fair share of blood. It has just the right biting mechanism: three jaws with hundreds of sharp teeth that feed on the surface of the skin. They also secrete anti-coagulants which helps keep the blood flowing.

And it’s this combination of adaptations that makes them perfect for saving limbs and skin.

“If you have a thumb that is reattached, the doctors will repair the arteries, tendons and muscles but the little veins that carry blood back to the circulatory system are damaged and traumatized,” explained Rudy Rosenberg Sr. of Leeches USA Ltd., a medical leech distributor. “The blood pools in the reattached thumb and has nowhere to go, so you put the leech on the limb to suck out the extra blood until the veins redevelop.”

Brazilian Arrowhead Viper

Venom from the Brazilian arrowhead viper, also called a Brazilian pit viper, was the basis for developing one of the first ACE inhibitors, a group of drugs used to treat hypertension and congestive heart failure.

Researchers isolated a molecule called bradykinin potentiating factor from the viper venom and found it is related to a class of molecules that stop angiotensis-converting enzymes (ACE) from blocking bradykinins, a protein that causes blood vessels to dilate and lower blood pressure.

Boyer pointed out that an animal such as a snake needs their prey to be still. Decreasing blood pressure could be a useful property for snake venom, since snakes require that their prey be still while they eat and digest them.

Bradykinin potentiating factors were eventually developed into the drug captopril, used to treat hypertension, cardiac conditions and to preserve kidney function in diabetics, and launched in 1975 by the pharmaceutical company Squibb, now part of Bristol-Myers Squibb, to great success.

Gila Monster

The colorful Gila monster (pronounced HEE-la) is a scaly loner that lives in the deserts of the Southwest United States and northern Mexico. It scavenges for small eggs and small animals, spends most of its time underground, and is one of two species of lizards on Earth that produce venom.

It’s this venom that makes the Gila monster a medical wonder as well as a natural curiosity.

“In the case of the Gila monster, they are cold blooded animals that in the winter hold very still,” Boyer said. “To save energy, tissues like its gut, glands, pancreas, all stop being juicy and active. When the critter wakes up in spring, its venom liberates hormones into body that stimulate its organs to become robust again and ready to receive a meal. ”

Dr. John Eng, an endocrinologist at Solomon A. Berson Research Laboratory, discovered this hormone in 1992 which he named exendin-4. The venom hormone was very similar to a hormone produced in the human digestive tract which is responsible for increasing the production of insulin when blood sugar is high. He also found that exendin-4 remained effective in the body longer than the human hormone.

The Gila monster’s adaptive tricks now help thousands of diabetes sufferers.

In 2005 the Food and Drug Administration approved the drug Byetta, derived from Gila monster venom. The injectible medicine is effective at helping people with Type 2 diabetes maintain healthy glucose levels. The drug also slowed the emptying of the stomach, decreasing appetite and helping patients to lose weight.

Maggots

When all other treatments fail and patients face losing life and limb — literally — these creepy crawlers are called in to do the job that doctors and modern medicine sometimes cannot.

Maggots are small, voracious eaters that love to feast on diseased and dying flesh. But their nauseating idea of a great meal is a life-saving asset for those suffering from chronic wounds and infections.

“I call them micro-surgeons,” said Dr. Edgar Maeyens Jr., dermatological surgeon who practices in Oregon. “Those little guys can debride [clean] a wound better than any guy with a knife.”

Maggots used to be standard treatment for wounds in the early 20th century, but with the discovery of antibiotics they fell out of common use. But maggots seem to be making a comeback as bacteria mutates and becomes resistant to antibiotics; more doctors are turning to maggots as a last resort before amputation.

“Maggots will turn a chronic wound into an acute wound in a matter of days by eating the chronic tissue and bacteria. From there the wound becomes treatable and can finally heal,” Maeyens said.

These hungry insect larvae are sterile, work quickly and also cost less than traditional treatments.

“For just a few dollars and in just a few days you can do what months of treatment and tens of thousands of dollars could not,” Maeyens said.

Goat-Made Spider Silk

We’ve all heard of Spider-Man — but how about a spider-goat?

These transgenetic goats are very unique because they produce something out of the ordinary: spider silk. The same substance that makes up spider webs is created in their milk glands.

Spider silk is referred to by many scientists as bio-steel. Much like in the Spider-Man movies, spider silk has super tensile strength. If made in large quantities and threaded together researchers say it would be strong enough to produce bullet proof vests, parachute cords or to tether airplanes to aircraft carriers.

Spider silk can also be used to make artificial ligaments and tendons that support tissue, bone and nerve cells, holding them steady while they grow. These artificial silk parts then fall apart gradually, after the cells have been given enough time to grow.

But why goats? Spiders, unlike silk worms, tend to eat each other when placed together in large numbers. So scientists came up with a solution.

“The process is conceptually very simple. The spider silk gene for the silk protein is connected to DNA from the goat that controls in what tissue the protein is made. In this case it is the mammary gland and is made only during lactation,” said Randy Lewis, a molecular biologist at the University of Wyoming who helped engineer the goats. “That cell is then combined with an egg to ultimately produce an embryo that has the gene incorporated into its DNA. The silk protein is then made when the female starts lactating.”

Cone Snail

Don’t be fooled by the gracefully swirled and mottled shell or their sedentary nature. Cone snails are one of nature’s most dangerous creatures and their toxic venom can be fatal to humans. But in the right doses, some of those compounds can be useful.

“We started working on cone snails, to be honest, because we had nothing else to do at the time,” said Olivera. He had taken a position at a university in the Philippines in the 1970s and his lab was ill-equipped to handle any but the most basic scientific experiments. “I collected shells as a hobby as a kid and I knew certain types of cone snails killed people … Our goal was to purify components of the venom that might be responsible for it’s lethality.”

A fish-eating mollusk, the cone snail uses a harpoon sting to deliver its venom and kill nearby prey.

“Cone snails don’t have a lot going for them mechanically as far as catching their prey,” Olivera said. “They probably use their venom for more purposes than most other animals.”

Olivera cited defense against predators and competitive interaction amongst other cone snails as possible uses of the venom, which contains about 150-200 different compounds and these can be unique between cone snail species. The diversity of compounds offers researchers a pharmacological library of compounds to work with.

In 2004, the FDA approved the use of the pain medication ziconotide, marketed as Prialt, derived from one of the conopeptide proteins from cone snail venom. Other potential uses for compounds from the snail venom include drugs for neurological pain, epilepsy, heart disease and stroke.

Caribbean Sea Sponge and Coral

They may seem almost mundane; a simple sea sponge and coral on the bottom of the ocean floor.

You would never guess that something like this Caribbean Sea life might lead to the development of amazing future treatments for some of man’s biggest medical challenges, including cancer and antibiotic resistant infections. But that is exactly what researchers hope for.

While coral reefs and other underwater life were dying around it, the some species of Caribbean sea sponges and coral continued to thrive. Upon closer examination, researchers found that a naturally produced antibiotic was helping them to survive. This antibiotic strips bacteria of their protective bio-films, making them easier to kill. Scientists estimate that 65 to 80 percent of all bacterial infections are bio-film based.

But the discoveries don’t stop there.

A chemical called candidaspongiolide (CAN), which inhibits protein synthesis, can kill some cancer cells. The findings were published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

“Our basic understanding of the relationship between animals and the chemical they produce has come a long way,” Boyer said.

Researchers say there is much more research, tests and trials to complete but they hope it won’t be long before it leads to effective new treatments in the future.

Coho Salmon

Maybe you think salmon belongs on a dinner plate, but you can find it at the pharmacy, too.

Calcitonin-salmon is the generic name for a class of drugs, which include Miacalcin and Fortical, used to treat bone loss.

Humans make calcitonin, a hormone that inhibits bone loss, in the thyroid gland. But in postmenopausal women and people with Paget’s disease, the rate of bone loss increases. Extra calcitonin can prevent such bone loss and promote bone density.

“It’s about getting clues from animals to help with human health,” Boyer said.

Although fish have no thyroid glands, they do produce calcitonin hormones to regulate their own calcium levels from an endocrine gland in their neck. The synthetic version of this calcitonin from the coho salmon, the calcitonin-salmon, makes it into the final medical product for people with calcium regulation disorders.

Pygmy Rattlesnake

The southeastern pygmy rattlesnake, found in the United States from North Carolina to Florida and west through Texas, is too small to pack a dangerous bite, but the venom has some startling properties.

A molecule in the venom leaves prey bleeding profusely, their blood unable to clot. This could speed death for the prey of these small snakes.

“Naturally occurring substances that can genuinely do harm, at different doses, maybe could be drugs,” Boyer said.

This molecule from the rattlesnake venom was developed into eptifibatide, an antiplatelet drug that binds to platelets in the blood for a short time and prevents them from sticking together, or aggregating.

Eptifibatide is used to treat people with advanced heart disease, particularly those at risk for sudden heart attack. The drug prevents blood clots, which can block arteries and cause heart attack and stroke, from forming.

Horseshoe Crab

Every person in the world today who receives vaccines, antibiotics, or implanted medical devices such as pacemakers, has had their safety ensured by the blue blood of the horseshoe crab.

Unchanged for more than 200 million years, the crab’s blood gets its blue color from copper in its system and its special properties that make the blood invaluable to modern medicine.

“People began to notice that if [the crab] got wounded and it got infected, their blood would gunk up and coagulate,” said Eric Hallerman, director of the Horseshoe Crab Research Center at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

And that’s exactly the way it’s used today. A protein in the blood called Limulus Amebocyte Lysate (LAL) reacts to all kinds of microorganisms and can easily detect dangerous endotoxins that cause fever and can be fatal. Any contamination and scientists will see the blood react.

“Over millions of years the crab has been exposed to an awful lot of microbes,” Hallerman said, “making them immune to a wider range of threats than any other animal.”

When collecting the blood — valued at $15,000 per pint — the crabs are picked up by trollers who deliver the animals to a lab where they are bled. The crabs are then released back into the wild.

Hallerman’s organization works with fisheries all over North America to make sure the crab populations remain high and that measures are taken to protect them.

“Humans looked to nature and nature gave us answers,” Hallerman said. “Over 200 million years, the crab survived the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs, and survived human assaults on habitat. I know they’ll be here long after we are gone.”

PROF. DR.HK PANDEY,ZOOLOGIST,KOLKATA

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IMAGE CREDIT-GOOGLE