Coral Reefs are the most astonishing part of marine-life. Corals are home for diversified aquatic species giving waterbodies magnificent and fanciable glow. Role of coral reefs is to protect marine diversity. They are formed from polyps and algae.
Apart from it’s beauty what chased my attention was medicinal properties of corals. It isn’t a new concept, coral reefs are being used as medicine since centuries.
1. AS ANTIBIOTICS
-»Recently according to a research paper of 2020, Corals produces an agent erogorgiaene which is an inactive form, but with the use of biotechnology it gets converted to pseudopteropsin an active form which act as an antibiotic for treatment of MDR-TB.
2. IN DENTAL SURGERIES AND ORTHOPAEDICS
-» Another study of 2015, suggest that coral comprise of calcium carbonate which may act as a bone substitue especially in oral and maxillo-facial defects.
-» There are also reports of non-union fracture being treated with the use of coral grafts.
3. HIV-AIDS
Apart from antibiotic activity, few papers also reported the antiviral properties of corals which can be used in treatment of HIV. Few corals comprise of protein cnidarins that prevents virus to fuse to T-cells membrane acting as anti-HIV Microbicide.
Therefore, corals are being used in treatment of many life-threatening diseases, but when it comes to human concerns, humans looses concerns for other living beings. Corals are under the threat because of constant experiments and climate change. We need to make sure that for benefit we may not neglect the most amazing architectural form of nature.
HEALING ESSENCE 