Indian Frog Secretes Virus-destroying Compound Through Its Skin

The South Indian frog Hydrophylax bahuvistara. A peptide secreted from its skin fights the influenza virus. (Credit: Sanil George and Jessica Shartouny) A peptide secreted by a species of Indian frog can destroy variants of the influenza virus. Frogs, with little defensive weaponry to rely on, have armed themselves with a chemical arsenal that gets leached out through their skins. In some frogs, this takes the form of deadly poisons; in others, the chemicals have been known to possess psychoactive properties. Hydrophylax bahuvistara, a species of fungoid frog found in India, secretes a substance that protects against viruses. Researchers studying the frogs introduced their slimy secretions — obtained via a mild electric shock — to colonies of the H1 variant of the influenza virus. The compound stopped the influenza in its tracks, the work of a specialized peptide produced by H. bahuvistara that is able to destroy the virus. The ...