Switch to हिंदी

Health, Fitness, Beauty & Diet | Sexual Health, Pregnancy & Parenting | Diseases & Home Remedies | TheHealthSite.com

Health, Fitness, Beauty & Diet | Sexual Health, Pregnancy & Parenting | Diseases & Home Remedies | TheHealthSite.com

हिंदी
  • Fitness
    • Weight loss
    • Yoga
    • Diet
    • Healthy recipes
    • Weight training
    • Body-Mind-Soul
  • Beauty
    • Home remedies
    • Haircare
    • Hair loss
    • Skin care
    • Anti-ageing
    • Make-up
  • Diseases
    • Natural Remedies
    • Alternative medicine
    • Women’s Health
    • Stress
    • Symptoms A-Z
    • Health A-Z
    • Diseases A-Z
  • Love & Sex
    • Love and relationships
    • Sex Guide
    • Sex queries
    • Contraception
    • Sex positions
    • STDs
  • Pregnancy
    • Pregnancy week-by-week
    • Pregnancy Guide
    • Infertility
    • Conceiving
    • Labour & Delivery
  • Parenting
    • Baby Care
    • Breastfeeding
    • Children’s Health
    • Children’s Nutrition
  • News
  • Galleries
    • Fitness
    • Beauty
    • Health
    • Sex & Relationships
    • Pregnancy
  • Videos
    • Fitness
    • Beauty
    • Diseases
    • Sex & Relationships
    • Pregnancy
  • Desi Wisdom
Home / Health News / Researchers identify protein in saliva that protects the body from traveller’s diarrhoea

Researchers identify protein in saliva that protects the body from traveller’s diarrhoea

Traveller's diarrhoea is a digestive tract disorder that commonly causes loose stools and abdominal cramps.

Agencies   | Updated: March 10, 2018 1:05 pm
Tags: Bacteria  Cell proteins  Diarrhoea in India  Saliva  
diah

Researchers have identified a protein in saliva that protects the body from traveller’s diarrhoea, a finding that may lead to the development of new preventive therapies for the disease. Traveller’s diarrhoea is a digestive tract disorder that commonly causes loose stools and abdominal cramps. The findings showed that the protein histatin-5 in human saliva helps the body defend itself from the gut infection.

According to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates, up to 80 per cent of cases of travellers’ diarrhoea are caused by bacteria.

The most common bacterium that causes travellers’ diarrhoea is enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), which invades the small intestine using arm-like structures called “pili”, the research showed.

“We found that the protein histatin-5 present in human saliva stiffens the pili of ETEC, preventing the bacteria from effectively adhering to the small intestine,” said Esther Bullitt, Associate Professor at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) in the US.

“If they can’t attach, they simply can’t cause disease,” Bullitt added.

In the study, published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases, the team from exposed miniature human small intestines in the laboratory to the bacteria ETEC in the presence and absence of the protein histatin-5.

Significantly fewer bacteria were able to attach to the tissue in the presence of histatin-5, the result showed.

This initial line of defence in the mouth likely explains why it takes such a large number of ETEC to infect a human.

Histatin-5 might also be manufactured as a dissolvable powder and used to prevent traveller’s diarrhoea in the future.

This new finding opens up the possibility that other salivary proteins might exist which protect against many other diseases, including infectious gastritis, food poisoning or even pneumonia.

“This research opens an untapped avenue for prevention of enteric infectious diseases through the targeted use of naturally occurring components of saliva,” Bullitt said.

Image source: Shutterstock

Published: March 10, 2018 1:04 pm | Updated:March 10, 2018 1:05 pm
Disclaimer: TheHealthSite.com does not guarantee any specific results as a result of the procedures mentioned here and the results may vary from person to person. The topics in these pages including text, graphics, videos and other material contained on this website are for informational purposes only and not to be substituted for professional medical advice.
Irrfan Khan's wife says her partner is facing his health scare -- a "rare disease" -- like a "warrior"

Irrfan Khan's wife says her partner is facing his health scare -- a "rare disease" -- like a "warrior"

Things you should know about kidney transplants

Things you should know about kidney transplants

Please Wait. Article Loading ....

Related Stories

Summer tips: how cucumbers can help you beat the heat

Summer tips: how cucumbers can help you beat the heat

New low-cost tool to detect bacteria in food, water

New low-cost tool to detect bacteria in food, water

World Water Day 2018: Lack of clean drinking water leading to rise in diarrhoea cases

World Water Day 2018: Lack of clean drinking water leading to rise in diarrhoea cases

Certain bacteria may promote pancreatic cancer by suppressing the immune system

Certain bacteria may promote pancreatic cancer by suppressing the immune system

Health News in Hindi

गर्मियों में हमेशा साथ रखें ये 5 प्रोडक्ट्स

गर्मियों में हमेशा साथ रखें ये 5 प्रोडक्ट्स

शादी की 11वीं एनिवर्सरी पर अभिषेक बच्चन ने शेयर की खास तस्वीर

शादी की 11वीं एनिवर्सरी पर अभिषेक बच्चन ने शेयर की खास तस्वीर

उज्जैन में होगा भारतीय कृत्रिम अंग निर्माण निगम के सहायक उत्पादन केंद्र का उद्घाटन !

उज्जैन में होगा भारतीय कृत्रिम अंग निर्माण निगम के सहायक उत्पादन केंद्र का उद्घाटन !

बाल विवाह समाज के लिए अभिशाप : आनंदी बेन

बाल विवाह समाज के लिए अभिशाप : आनंदी बेन

जब बच्चे दूध पीने से कतराएं, तो यूं करें कैल्शियम की जरूरतों को पूरा

जब बच्चे दूध पीने से कतराएं, तो यूं करें कैल्शियम की जरूरतों को पूरा

Read All

About The health Site

TheHealthSite.com is India's largest health site with more than 40 lakh unique visitors per month. We focus on fitness, beauty, health, pregnancy and more.

Most popular health and wellness website in India in 2012 at the Website of the year awards.

health@corp.india.com
+91 – 22 – 6697 1234
91 – 22 – 2490 0302.

India Webportal Private Limited 135, Continental Building, Dr. Annie Basent Road, Worli, Mumbai – 400 018.

Useful Links

  • World Health Day 2018
  • Homeopathy
  • Malaria Day
  • Ayurveda
  • Skin Care
  • Haemophilia Day
  • Summer special
  • Cancer
  • World Liver Day
  • First Aid
  • Mental Health
  • HIV
  • Blood Pressure
  • Winter care
  • Diabetes
  • Infertility
  • Depression
  • Vaccination
  • Workplace Wellness
  • Swine Flu
  • Cough
  • Diet
  • Erectile Dysfunction
  • Asthma
  • Desi Wisdom
  • Healthy Food
  • Healthy Home
  • Go Natural
  • Weight Loss Tips
  • Fitness Workouts
  • Heart Health
  • Quit Smoking
  • Celebrity Fitness
  • Flat Abs
  • Workplace Wellness

Email Subscription

Enter your email id to get latest updates and latest news about health.

We respect your privacy

  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Author Profiles

Copyright © 2018 TheHealthSite