Oysters have long been considered an aphrodisiac. Now, the mollusk might be tapped to fight infectious diseases.
A study shows that proteins in the blood, or hemolymph, of a Sydney Rock Oyster not only kills bacteria but boosts some antibiotics’ efficacies against several resistant strains, according to a study in PLOS ONE.
The finding is important because, although antibiotics have helped people fight infectious diseases since the early 20th century, their misuse has created strains of bacteria resistant to existing treatments. Antimicrobial resistance could cause 40 million deaths by 2050.
