ANTIMICROBIAL PROTEINS/PEPTIDES ISOLATED FROM TWO CULTIVARS OF BOUGAINVILLEA

The rapid increase in multi-drug resistance (MDR) infections present a challenge in the development of therapies against them. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) can be the answer to this challenge. AMPs play an important role in host defense mechanisms. Plants are the precious source of natural antimicrobial molecules, including antimicrobial peptides known as Plant Antimicrobial Peptides (PAMPs). The present research work was aimed to isolate antimicrobial proteins or peptides from the leaf and flower extract of Bougainvillea ‘Texas King’ and Bougainvillea ‘Shubra’ cultivars. Protein pellets obtained after 50% and 25% ammonium sulfate precipitation of B. ‘Shubra’ leaf and flower extract showed maximum total protein of 311 µg/ml and 798 µg/ml respectively and 25% and 50% protein pellet of B. ‘Texas King’ leaf and flower extract showed maximum total protein of 529 µg/ml and 904 µg/ml respectively. Different protein pellets and supernatant were screened for antimicrobial activity against selected microorganisms. The protein samples having antimicrobial activity were electrophoresed on 12% Tricine SDS-PAGE to estimate the molecular masses of the antimicrobial protein/peptides. Molecular weight of antimicrobial proteins/ peptides from the leaves of Bougainvillea ‘Texas King’ and Bougainvillea ‘Shubra’ cultivars ranged between 14.1 to 72.4kDa. However, antimicrobial proteins/ peptides from Bougainvillea ‘Texas King’ and Bougainvillea ‘Shubra’ cultivars flowers ranged between 4.6 to 23.4 kDa. Above preliminary studies on B. ‘Texas King’ and B. ‘Shubra’ cultivars represents strong future prospects of antimicrobial proteins/peptides in therapeutics for the treatment of the diseases caused by C. albicans, S. aureus, and B. licheniformis.