According to reports, a group of students from Chu Van An High School (Nguyễn Lê Minh Thư, class 12C2, and Nguyễn An Đông, class 11C2) conducted research and discovered that Brevinin, a natural peptide found in frog skin, has broad-spectrum antibacterial and antifungal properties.
Brevinin is a type of peptide—a long chain of amino acids produced by the body to help synthesize proteins, which are essential nutrients that provide energy to cells for maintaining a healthy body. Brevinin exhibits good biological activity, demonstrating both antibacterial effects and the ability to kill cancer cells without harming normal eukaryotic cells.
Previously, in April 2023, this group of students undertook a project titled “Research on the extraction of recombinant Brevinin from Mẫu Sơn frogs to create a source of medicinal materials as an antibiotic alternative and support for cancer treatment.” The project was guided by teacher Nguyễn Phương Hiên.
Mẫu Sơn frogs are abundant around Mount Mẫu Sơn. (Illustrative photo).
During their research and experiments with Mẫu Sơn frogs, the group identified that Brevinin E.H has biological activity capable of resisting Gram-positive bacteria and exhibiting toxicity to various cancer cell lines.
In response to these research findings, Mrs. Lê Thị Mạnh Khương, Vice Principal of Chu Van An High School, praised the project’s value. Throughout the project’s execution, the students displayed persistence and seriousness, resulting in a project that brings significant practical value.
Given the value of the research project, it won first prize at the Provincial Science and Technology Competition for high school students for the academic year 2023 – 2024.
According to research, Mẫu Sơn frogs are one of the amphibian species. They are abundant in the area surrounding Mount Mẫu Sơn (located in Cao Lộc and Lộc Bình districts of Lạng Sơn province), which is why locals often refer to them as Mẫu Sơn frogs. Additionally, this species is known by other names such as royal frog, princess frog, and imperial frog. This frog species lives entirely in nature around Mount Mẫu Sơn, which is why its meat is very fragrant, firm, and not as fishy as that of field frogs. Due to their rarity, the price of this frog is quite high, approximately 1 million VND per kilogram. |
