See Also: defensins(medicine)
Insect defensins(medicine)
Herbal medicine (botanical medicine, herbology, phytomedicine)(health)
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Orthomolecular medicine (orthomolecular nutritional medicine, orthomolecular therapy)(health)
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defensins (medicine)


defensins
<biochemistry> Family of small (30-35 residue) cysteine rich cationic proteins found in vertebrate phagocytes (notably the azurophil granules of neutrophils) and active against bacteria, fungi and enveloped viruses.

May constitute up to 5% of the total protein. Insect defensins have some sequence homology with the vertebrate forms.