If you ever travelled along the Volta Basin, you are most likely to have been approached by a trader selling khebab.

Most of these khebabs are made with clam. A clam is a type of shellfish. Clams can be found in saltwater and freshwater.

Many people who try clam, known locally as ‘adodi,’ for the first time, are amazed at the richness in every bite: soft, gummy and tasty.

A recent study reveals the sea food creature, scientists call Galatea paradoxa, is not just economically relevant.

It is found to fight bacteria as well as ageing, as contained in a report published in the global journal, Cogent Chemistry.

The researchers observe indiscriminate use of drugs have not helped in savaging infectious diseases.

“There was the need to find new bacteria-fighting agents from plants and animals. Sea animals without backbones have proven to be rich sources of substances that fight against bacteria and tumours,” says Dr. Godfred Darko of the Kwame Nkrumah University, one of the researchers.

The study team obtained clams from La Beach in Accra, removed their shell and processed the flesh into juice.

The extract proved highly effective in five of eight strains of bacteria and a fungus on which it was tested.

They include Salmonella typhi which causes typhoid and Streptococcus pneumonia, a major cause of pneumonia.

The scientist again found extracts could effectively savage free radical, substances which can speed up the ageing process.

Dr. Darko says the team is now focusing on isolation and purification of the agents.