The natural world contains a yet-to-be-discovered, untapped bounty remedies to help doctors. The latest discovery comes researchers from Georgetown University and other research institutions the USA. They believe their exploration how reptiles excrete waste could help treat human ailments. The scientists analysed the tiny "pee crystals" that reptiles use place of urine to excrete waste. The crystals are a solid form uric acid, which is a potentially harmful by-product created when the body breaks nitrogen in food. Too much nitrogen our bodies can lead to health problems gout and kidney stones. Our bodies flush most of the uric acid waste when we pass water.
The study is published the Journal of the American Chemical Society. A team organic chemists and herpetologists (scientists who study reptiles and amphibians) examined the excreta and waste elimination processes more than 20 reptile species. They focused their attention the excess nitrogen that crystallised tiny microcrystals. Researcher Dr Jennifer Swift believes the team's findings could help us better understand and treat uric acid-related problems gout and kidney stones. She said: "This research was really inspired a desire to understand the ways reptiles are able to excrete this material safely, the hope it might inspire new approaches to disease prevention and treatment."
