If you ever scoffed at athletes drinking reptilian blood for that extra advantage in their respective sports, you might be surprised to read about what we've got to report: scientists say that there's more medicinal value in this practice than we originally thought.

In a research conducted jointly by McNeese State University and Louisiana State University, it was discovered that alligator blood had some extraordinary infection-fighting abilities. Potential was seen in the blood to revolutionize the way antibiotics are made.

The blood of American alligators is rich in proteins whose structures can effectively combat both common and tough to kill microbes that attack the human body. The researchers hope that someday, this may lead to new drugs that can help save lives of AIDS patients.

"We’re very excited about the potential of these alligator blood proteins as both antibacterial and anti-fungal agents,” says study co-author Mark Merchant, Ph.D. “There’s a real possibility that you could be treated with an alligator blood product one day.”

The research was pulled off by extracting white blood cells from the blood of the big reptiles. Once done, it was tested against bacteria and fungi. The white blood cells proved effective against a lot of bugs, including Candida albicans yeast infections which attack HIV and organ transplant patients who have weakened immune systems.

In the future, the researchers say that it's possible to manufacture pills and creams that will incorporate components of alligator blood that show value in the fight against infections. They also say that other animals, such as crocodiles, have similar antimicrobial blood proteins that may be used in similar ways. Here's hoping for more progress in this study.