Pathog Glob Health. 2014 Apr;108(3):129-36. doi: 10.1179/2047773214Y.0000000132. Epub 2014 Mar 13.
It is hypothesized that animals living in polluted environments possess antimicrobials to counter pathogenic microbes. The fact that snakes feed on germ-infested rodents suggests that they encounter pathogenic microbes and likely possess antimicrobials. The venom is used only to paralyze the rodent, but the ability of snakes to counter potential infections in the gut due to disease-ridden rodents requires robust action of the immune system against a broad range of pathogens. To test this hypothesis, crude lysates of different organs of Naja naja karachiensis (black cobra) were tested for antimicrobial properties. The antimicrobial activities of extracts were tested against selected bacterial pathogens (neuropathogenic Escherichia coli K1, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Streptococcus pneumonia), protist (Acanthamoeba castellanii), and filamentous fungus (Fusarium solani). The findings revealed that plasma and various organ extracts of N. n. karachiensis exhibited antimicrobial activity against E. coli K1, MRSA, P. aeruginosa, S. pneumoniae, A. castellanii, and F. solani in a concentration-dependent manner. The results of this study are promising for the development of new antimicrobials.
据推测，生活在污染环境中的动物拥有抗菌物质来抵御致病微生物。蛇以感染细菌的啮齿动物为食这一事实表明，它们会遇到致病微生物，并且可能拥有抗菌物质。毒液仅用于麻痹啮齿动物，但由于病媒啮齿动物，蛇需要强大的免疫系统来抵御广泛的病原体，以对抗肠道中潜在的感染。为了验证这一假设，测试了 Naja naja karachiensis（黑眼镜蛇）不同器官的粗提物的抗菌特性。提取液的抗菌活性针对选定的细菌病原体（神经致病性大肠杆菌 K1、耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌（MRSA）、铜绿假单胞菌和肺炎链球菌）、原生动物（卡氏棘阿米巴）和丝状真菌（茄病镰刀菌）进行了测试。研究结果表明，N. n. karachiensis 的血浆和各种器官提取物对大肠杆菌 K1、MRSA、铜绿假单胞菌、肺炎链球菌、卡氏棘阿米巴和茄病镰刀菌均具有浓度依赖性的抗菌活性。这项研究的结果为开发新的抗菌药物提供了希望。
