title: Investigation of the cytotoxicity of antimicrobial peptide P40 on eukaryotic cells.
abstract: The in vitro cytotoxicity of the antimicrobial peptide P40 was investigated. The food grade bacteriocin nisin was also analyzed for comparison. VERO cells were treated with different concentrations (0.02-2.5 microg ml(-1)) of nisin and P40, and cell viability and plasma membrane integrity were checked by MTT, neutral red uptake (NRU), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assays. In MTT and NRU assays the EC(50) to the purified peptide P40 were 0.30 and 0.51 microg ml(-1), while values found to nisin were 0.35 and 0.79 microg ml(-1), respectively. In the LDH assay, the EC(50) was 0.57 and 0.62 microg ml(-1) for P40 and nisin, respectively. The peptide P40 revealed higher hemolytical activity (19%) when compared to nisin (4.9%) at the highest concentration tested (2.5 microg ml(-1)). Relatively few studies about the cytotoxicity of antimicrobial peptides are available. The determination of the cytotoxicity of antimicrobial peptides is an essential step to warrant their safe use.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciência de Alimentos, ICTA, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rodrigo A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Vaucher
authors.forename: Mario L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.forename: Adriano
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brandelli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001430:Bacteriocins / Q000494:pharmacology; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D006461:Hemolysis / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D009561:Nisin / Q000494:pharmacology; D014709:Vero Cells
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001430:Bacteriocins; D009561:Nisin