Use By Humans
Thousands of the horseshoe crabs are caught by local fishermen and fisherwomen. In some areas, the crab is cooked, and the unlaid yellowish roe is eaten. However, some reports show that the crabs are toxic. In addition, horseshoe crabs are prized for their blue blood, as it is widely used in biomedical sciences for the development of drugs for diseases like mental exhaustion and gastroenteritis. The blood contains a chemical called Limulus amoebocyte lysate (LAL) that can be used to detect pathogens and their endotoxins.
Read more about this topic: Mangrove Horseshoe Crab
Famous quotes containing the word humans:
“To not be afraid in our world is the message that doesn’t derive from reason, but maybe from this mysterious capacity given to humans which we call—not without a little embarrassment—faith.”
—Friedrich Dürrenmatt (1921–1990)