In rural Russia, before the advent of modern refrigeration, it was a common folk practice to place frogs—especially Rana temporaria (a common Russian brown frog)—into buckets of milk.
The belief was that this helped prevent the milk from going sour. For a long time, this was thought to be simply an old wives’ tale. However, scientific research in the early 2010s confirmed a biological basis for this behavior.
In a 2012 study by a team of researchers from Moscow State University, antimicrobial peptides were found in the skin secretions of the Russian brown frog.
These peptides showed potent antibacterial activity against a wide range of harmful microbes, including Salmonella and Staphylococcus strains.
These bioactive compounds serve as part of the frog’s natural immune defense, but interestingly, they also work in external environments—such as milk.
The antimicrobial peptides were found to act similarly to modern antibiotics, effectively reducing bacterial growth.
This discovery has not only validated the folk practice but also opened up potential biomedical applications, including new antibiotic development—especially in an age where antibiotic resistance is a growing concern.
While this practice wouldn’t be advised today due to hygiene and animal welfare concerns, it is an intriguing example of traditional knowledge intersecting with modern science.
The belief was that this helped prevent the milk from going sour. For a long time, this was thought to be simply an old wives’ tale. However, scientific research in the early 2010s confirmed a biological basis for this behavior.
In a 2012 study by a team of researchers from Moscow State University, antimicrobial peptides were found in the skin secretions of the Russian brown frog.
These peptides showed potent antibacterial activity against a wide range of harmful microbes, including Salmonella and Staphylococcus strains.
These bioactive compounds serve as part of the frog’s natural immune defense, but interestingly, they also work in external environments—such as milk.
The antimicrobial peptides were found to act similarly to modern antibiotics, effectively reducing bacterial growth.
This discovery has not only validated the folk practice but also opened up potential biomedical applications, including new antibiotic development—especially in an age where antibiotic resistance is a growing concern.
While this practice wouldn’t be advised today due to hygiene and animal welfare concerns, it is an intriguing example of traditional knowledge intersecting with modern science.
In rural Russia, before the advent of modern refrigeration, it was a common folk practice to place frogs—especially Rana temporaria (a common Russian brown frog)—into buckets of milk.
The belief was that this helped prevent the milk from going sour. For a long time, this was thought to be simply an old wives’ tale. However, scientific research in the early 2010s confirmed a biological basis for this behavior.
In a 2012 study by a team of researchers from Moscow State University, antimicrobial peptides were found in the skin secretions of the Russian brown frog.
These peptides showed potent antibacterial activity against a wide range of harmful microbes, including Salmonella and Staphylococcus strains.
These bioactive compounds serve as part of the frog’s natural immune defense, but interestingly, they also work in external environments—such as milk.
The antimicrobial peptides were found to act similarly to modern antibiotics, effectively reducing bacterial growth.
This discovery has not only validated the folk practice but also opened up potential biomedical applications, including new antibiotic development—especially in an age where antibiotic resistance is a growing concern.
While this practice wouldn’t be advised today due to hygiene and animal welfare concerns, it is an intriguing example of traditional knowledge intersecting with modern science.
