Antimicrobial Peptides from Adenanthera pavonina L. Seeds: Characterization and Antifungal Activity

Antifungal, Antimycobacterial, Protease and α‒Amylase Inhibitory Activities of a Novel Serine Bifunctional Protease Inhibitor from Adenanthera pavonina L. Seeds

Antifungal resistance poses a significant challenge to disease management, necessitating the development of novel drugs. Antimicrobial peptides offer potential solutions. This study focused on extraction and characterization of peptides from Adenanthera pavonina seeds with activity against Candida species, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, proteases, and α-amylases. Peptides were extracted in phosphate buffer and heated at 90°C for 10 min to create a peptide rich heated fraction (PRHF). After confirming antimicrobial activity and the presence of peptides, the PRHF underwent ion exchange chromatography, yielding retained and non-retained fractions. These fractions were evaluated for antimicrobial activity and cytotoxicity against murine macrophages. The least toxic and most active fraction underwent reversed-phase chromatography, resulting in ten fractions. These fractions were tested for peptides and antimicrobial activity. The most active fraction was rechromatographed on a reversed-phase column, resulting in two fractions that were assessed for antimicrobial activity. The most active fraction revealed a single band of approximately 6 kDa and was tested for inhibitory effects on proteases and α-amylases. Thermal stability experiments were conducted on the 6 kDa peptide at different temperatures followed by reassessment of antifungal activity and circular dichroism. The 6 kDa peptide inhibited yeasts, M. tuberculosis, human salivary and Tenebrio molitor larvae intestine α-amylases, and proteolytic activity from fungal extracts, and thus named ApPI. Remarkably, ApPI retained antifungal activity and conformation after heating and is primarily composed of α-helices. ApPI is a thermally stable serine protease/α-amylase inhibitor from A. pavonina seeds, offering promise as a foundational molecule for innovative therapeutic agents against fungal infections and tuberculosis.

Adenanthera pavonina, a potential plant-based protein resource: Seed protein composition and immunohistochemical localization of trypsin inhibitors

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Trypsin inhibitors are abundant in the seeds of Adenanthera pavonina.

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A. pavonina trypsin inhibitors cross react with soybean trypsin inhibitor antibodies.

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Boiling A. pavonina seeds inactivates the trypsin inhibitors.

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A. pavonina trypsin inhibitors are resistant to pepsin digestion.

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A. pavonina trypsin inhibitors are localized in the cell cytosol.

Adenanthera pavonina, an underutilized tropical tree, is being promoted as an alternative food source for meeting the nutritional needs of human and animals. In this study, we have shown that trypsin inhibitors as one of the predominant proteins in the seeds of A. pavonina. DE-52 column chromatography resulted in the identification of four peaks with trypsin inhibitor activity. SDS-PAGE and immunoblot analyses revealed DE-52 peaks A and B were enriched in 17 and 15 kDa proteins and these proteins cross-reacted against soybean trypsin inhibitor antibodies. Simulated gastric fluid digestion revealed that the 15–17 kDa proteins are resistant to pepsin digestion. Roasting the seeds lowered the trypsin inhibitor activity while boiling intact seeds elevated the enzyme activity. However, the trypsin inhibitor activity was completely abolished when the seeds were boiled without their seed coats. Immunohistochemical detection and confocal microscopy demonstrated that trypsin inhibitors were localized in the cell cytosol.

Antimicrobial Peptides - Small but Mighty Weapons for Plants to Fight Phytopathogens

Antimicrobial Peptides (AMPs) have diverse structures, varied modes of actions, and can inhibit the growth of a wide range of pathogens at low concentrations. Plants are constantly under attack by a wide range of phytopathogens causing massive yield losses worldwide. To combat these pathogens, nature has armed plants with a battery of defense responses including Antimicrobial Peptides (AMPs). These peptides form a vital component of the two-tier plant defense system. They are constitutively expressed as part of the pre-existing first line of defense against pathogen entry. When a pathogen overcomes this barrier, it faces the inducible defense system, which responds to specific molecular or effector patterns by launching an arsenal of defense responses including the production of AMPs. This review emphasizes the structural and functional aspects of different plant-derived AMPs, their homology with AMPs from other organisms, and how their biotechnological potential could generate durable resistance in a wide range of crops against different classes of phytopathogens in an environmentally friendly way without phenotypic cost.

Interaction between the plant ApDef1 defensin and Saccharomyces cerevisiae results in yeast death through a cell cycle- and caspase-dependent process occurring via uncontrolled oxidative stress

BACKGROUND

Plant defensins were discovered at beginning of the 90s'; however, their precise mechanism of action is still unknown. Herein, we studied ApDef₁-Saccharomyces cerevisiae interaction.

METHODS

ApDef₁-S. cerevisiae interaction was studied by determining the MIC, viability and death kinetic assays. Viability assay was repeated with hydroxyurea synchronized-yeast and pretreated with CCCP. Plasma membrane permeabilization, ROS induction, chromatin condensation, and caspase activation analyses were assessed through Sytox green, DAB, DAPI and FITC-VAD-FMK, respectively. Viability assay was done in presence of ascorbic acid and Z-VAD-FMK. Ultrastructural analysis was done by electron microscopy.

RESULTS

ApDef₁ caused S. cerevisiae cell death and MIC was 7.8μM. Whole cell population died after 18h of ApDef₁ interaction. After 3h, 98.76% of synchronized cell population died. Pretreatment with CCCP protected yeast from ApDef₁ induced death. ApDef₁-S. cerevisiae interaction resulted in membrane permeabilization, H₂O₂ increased production, chromatin condensation and caspase activation. Ascorbic acid prevented yeast cell death and membrane permeabilization. Z-VAD-FMK prevented yeast cell death.

CONCLUSIONS

ApDef₁-S. cerevisiae interaction caused cell death through cell cycle dependentprocess which requires preserved membrane potential. After interaction, yeast went through uncontrolled ROS production and accumulation, which led to plasma membrane permeabilization, chromatin condensation and, ultimately, cell death by activation of caspase-dependent apoptosis via.

GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE

We show novel requirements for the interaction between plant defensin and fungi cells, i.e. cell cycle phase and membrane potential, and we indicate that membrane permeabilization is probably caused by ROS and therefore, it would be an indirect event of the ApDef₁-S. cerevisiae interaction.

Isolation, characterization and mechanism of action of an antimicrobial peptide from Lecythis pisonis seeds with inhibitory activity against Candida albicans

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are produced by a range of organisms as a first line of defense against invaders or competitors. Owing to their broad antimicrobial activity, AMPs have attracted attention as a potential source of chemotherapeutic drugs. The increasing prevalence of infections caused by Candida species as opportunistic pathogens in immunocompromised patients requires new drugs. Lecythis pisonis is a Lecythydaceae tree that grows in Brazil. The AMPs produced by this tree have not been described previously. We describe the isolation of 12 fractions enriched in peptides from L. pisonis seeds. Of the 12 fractions, at 10 μg/ml, the F4 fraction had the strongest growth inhibitory effect (53.7%) in Candida albicans, in addition to a loss of viability of 94.9%. The F4 fraction was separated into seven sub-fractions by reversed-phase chromatography. The F4.7' fraction had the strongest activity at 10 μg/ml, inhibiting C. albicans growth by 38.5% and a 69.3% loss of viability. The peptide in F4.7' was sequenced and was found to be similar to plant defensins. For this reason, the peptide was named L. pisonis defensin 1 (Lp-Def1). The mechanism of action that is responsible for C. albicans inhibition by Lp-Def1 includes a slight increase of reactive oxygen species induction and a significant loss of mitochondrial function. The results described here support the future development of plant defensins, specifically Lp-Def1, as new therapeutic substances against fungi, especially C. albicans.

Antiviral Activity of Sulfated Polysaccharide of Adenanthera pavonina against Poliovirus in HEp-2 Cells

Adenanthera pavonina, popularly known as red-bead tree, carolina, pigeon's eye, and dragon's eye, is a plant traditionally used in Brazil for the treatment of several diseases. The present study aimed at evaluating the activity of sulfated polysaccharide from the Adenanthera pavonina (SPLSAp) seeds against poliovirus type 1 (PV-1) in HEp-2 cell cultures. The SPLSAp presented a cytotoxic concentration (CC₅₀) of 500 μg/mL in HEp-2 cell cultures, evaluated by the dimethylthiazolyl-diphenyltetrazolium bromide method (MTT). The SPLSAp exhibited a significant antiviral activity, with a 50% inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) of 1.18 µg/mL, determined by plaque reduction assay and a high selectivity index (SI) of 423. The maximum inhibition (100%) of PV replication was found when the SPLSAp treatment was concomitant with viral infection (time 0 h), at all tested concentrations. The maximal inhibition was also found when the SPLSAp was used 1 h and 2 h postinfection, albeit at 50 μg/mL and 100 μg/mL. Therefore, we demonstrated that the SPLSAp inhibited PV growth. We also suggested that SPLSAp inhibited PV in more than one step of the replication, as the mechanism of antiviral action. We, therefore, selected the compound as a potential candidate for further development towards the control of the infection.

Cationic Bioactive Peptide from the Seeds of Benincasa hispida

A designated bioactive peptide “Hispidalin” purified from the seeds of Benincasa hispida, which is a medicinal plant, belongs to Cucurbitaceae family. Purification was achieved by using a procedure consisting of extraction from potassium phosphate buffer followed by FPLC and HPLC steps. Based on amino acid residue, this peptide is amphipathic and basic with one net positive charge having isoelectric pH 8.1. This peptide is without sulphur containing amino acid suggesting its extended conformation lacking double bond secondary structure. The results obtained from MALDI-TOF suggested that Hispidalin is of molecular mass 5.7 KDa with 49 amino acid residues and confirmed SDS-PAGE resolved ∼6.0 KDa protein band. This novel and unknown peptide “Hispidalin” showed broad and potent inhibitory effects against various human bacterial and fungal pathogens; its growth inhibition was significantly comparable with commercial antibacterial and antifungal drugs. The Hispidalin at 40 μg/mL concentration exhibited 70.8% DPPH free radical-scavenging activity and 69.5% lipid peroxide inhibition. Thus, in the present study, Hispidalin demonstrated remarkable antimicrobial and antioxidant potentials from the seeds of B. hispida.