African ants can secrete antibiotics to treat infected wounds – study
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Scientists have found that African Matabele ants can secrete antibiotics and use them to treat their injured relatives.
This discovery may be useful for human treatment, according to a study by an international group of scientists published in the journal Nature Communications.
Matabele ants lead a dangerous lifestyle: several times a day they attack termites, kill them and steal them to their nests, where they eat them. During such raids, there are many victims not only among termites – up to 22% of ants lose one or more legs, writes Derstandard.
In a study previously conducted at the University of Lausanne, scientists note that ants have found a way to cope with the increased risk of injury – injured individuals “call” others for help by changing their body odor. This attracts nest neighbors and they begin to treat the injured.
| PHOTO: University of Lausanne |
For this, they use a cocktail of antibiotics, which is secreted by a special gland. Such help can reduce mortality among injured ants by more than 90%. Moreover, less than 24 hours after the injury, they are able to participate in raids again.
The special gland of ants contains more than 100 proteins and organic compounds that prevent the development of bacteria in the wound and in the body of the injured. To apply “medicine”, ants use the so-called palps located between their jaw forceps, Professor Laurent Keller explained.
Further research on ants could be useful in finding new ways to fight infections in humans, he said.
“In wounded ants, Pseudomonas bacteria multiply – they are pathogens that often “colonize” the lungs of sick people. To the extent that resistance to common antibiotics is becoming more common, the discovery of substances effective against these pathogens may provide us with new therapeutic opportunities“, the researcher assures.
Read also: Ants can recognize the smell of cancer in urine – scientists
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