Through medical research, initiated in the 80’s by Italian and American researchers, it was discovered that the secretions of Phiylomedusa bicolor frog have hundreds of peptides that are beneficial to the human body. Some of these peptides traverse the blood-brain barrier and stimulate the endocrine glands of the brain, resulting in an immune effect and a deep cleanse of the body. Among which the main ones are the dermorphin and destorfina, from the group of peptides. Dermorphin is a potent analgesic and synthetic Deltorphin have been used in the treatment of ischemia, that is lack of blood flow that can cause strokes. This secretion also has antibiotic properties and strengthens the immune system while physically destroying pathogenic microorganisms. It´s related to be effective in treating Alzheimers, Parkinson’s disease, AIDS, cancer, depression, muscle pain and inflammation, spinal problems, sciatica, arthritis, rhematism, tendinitis, migraine, fatigue in legs, chronic headaches, asthma, bronchitis, rhinitis, sinusitis, acne, allergies, gastritis, ulcer, diabetes, blood pressure, obesity, circulatory problems, tingling, fluid retention, cholesterol, all kinds of heart diseases, hepatitis, cirrhosis, malaria, labyrinthitis, epilepsy, PMS, period irregularities, infertility, impotence, decreased libido, depression, anxiety, insomnia, irritability, insecurity, nervousness, fear, stress, fatigue, nervous shock, physical exhaustion, mental and emotional detox, addiction and smoking, genital disorders and problems in lung, kidney, gallbladder, spleen, pancreas, bladder, heart, intestine, thyroid, liver and throat, fertility problems in women, hepatitis and more.
The main families of bioactive peptides identified in the Sapo secretion so far include:
Phyllomedusin – such as tachykinins (which also act as neuropeptides) – produce contraction at the smooth muscle level and increase secretions of the entire gastrointestinal tract such as the salivary glands, stomach, small and large intestine, pancreas and gallbladder. These are the main parts responsible for the deep purge produced by the administration of Kambo.
Phyllokinin and Phyllomedusins – both are potent vasodilators, increasing the permeability of the blood-brain barrier both for their own access as well as for that of other active peptides. Within this family are the medusins, which also have antimicrobial and antifungal properties.
Caeruleins and Sauvagines – They are peptides with chains of 40 amino acids with myotropic properties on the smooth muscles, producing a contraction of the colon and urinary bladder. They produce a drop in blood pressure accompanied by tachycardia. They stimulate the adrenal cortex and pituitary gland, contributing to greater sensory perception and increased resistance. Both peptides possess a great analgesic power, contributing to the increase of physical strength, the capacity to confront physical pain, stress, disease and diminish the symptoms of fatigue. In the medical field this family of peptides contributes to improved digestion and has analgesic properties against pain in renal colic, pain due to peripheral vascular insufficiency and tumour pain.
Dermorphin and deltorphin – These are small peptides composed of 7 amino acids. They are selective agonists of the opiate delta receptors, 4000 times more potent than morphine and 40 times more than the endogenous endorphins.
Adenoregulins – discovered in the 90s by John Daly’s team at the National Institute of Health in the United States. Adenoregulin works on the human body through the adenosine receptors, a fundamental component throughout all human cellular fuel. These receptors may offer a target for the treatment of depression, stroke and cognitive loss diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease and also Parkinson’s.
Antimicrobial peptides: Dermaseptins, including adenoregulins (with 33 amino acids), plasticins and philloseptins form part of a family of a broad spectrum of antimicrobial peptides involved in the defence of frogs’ bare skin against microbial invasion. These are the first vertebrate peptides that show lethal effects against filamentous fungi responsible for severe opportunistic infections which accompany the immunodeficiency syndrome and the use of immunosuppressive agents. They also show lethal effects against a broad spectrum of bacteria both large+ and large-, fungi, yeasts and protozoa. Several years of research carried out at the University of Paris have shown that peptides Dermaseptin B2 and B3 are effective in killing certain types of cancer cells. Research at Queens University in Belfast recently won a prestigious award for his ground-breaking work with cancer and Kambo. Its action mechanism is produced by inhibiting the angiogenesis of tumour cells, with selective cytotoxicity for these cells.
Bradykinins – such as phyllokinins and tryptophilins. They are peptides with structure and properties similar to human bradykinin. They are important sources of scientific study as they are hypotensive and due to producing vasodilation, contraction of the non-vascular smooth muscle, increase vascular permeability, also related to the mechanism of inflammatory pain.
Bombesins – these peptides stimulate the secretion of hydrochloric acid by acting on the G cells of the stomach, regardless of the pH of the medium. They also increase pancreatic secretion, intestinal myoelectric activity and smooth muscle contractibility.
Ceruleins – Stimulate gastric, bile and pancreatic secretions, and certain smooth muscle. They could be used in the paralytic ileus and as a diagnostic medium in pancreatic dysfunction.
Tryptophilins – are neuropeptides consisting of 4 to 14 amino acids, which are opening up new perspectives on how the human brain works.
These biopeptides have aroused a great deal of scientific interest and many of them have been successfully synthesized in the laboratory and patented. But so far, none of these molecules have been used in clinical practice. Research on the components of Sapo continues to evolve to find clinical applications in the world of medicine and pharmacology, and in the study of new action mechanisms in our human biology.
For thousands of years, Amazonian tribes have been using and benefiting from this chemical cocktail according to their ancestral traditions, their intuition and their magic. Now it is up to us, above our rational and scientific culture, and accompanied and supported by it, to take advantage of this gift of nature and obtain all its benefits, beyond what we can be demonstrated by the multitude of pharmacological experiments carried out in scientific laboratories.
The dermaseptin superfamily: A gene-based combinatorial library of antimicrobial peptides
Antitumor and Angiostatic Activities of the Antimicrobial Peptide Dermaseptin B2
Antimicrobial peptides from Phyllomedusa frogs: from biomolecular diversity to potential nanotechnologic medical applications
Dermorphin-related peptides from the skin of Phyllomedusa bicolor
Pharmacological data on phyllokinin
Active peptides in the skins of two hundred and thirty American amphibian species.
Frog secretions and hunting magic in the upper Amazon
Kambô, The Spirit of the Shaman
Kambô: Scientific Research and Healing Treatments