Periplaneta species brain proteins and their efficacy as antibiotics

DOI: 10.5176/2251-2489_BioTech15.33

Authors: Siddharth Sagar and JayaPrada Rao C

Abstract: Insects like cockroaches are ubiquitous and omnivores in habit. They survive even in the most unhygienic conditions. Earlier studies proved cockroaches to be potential pathogenic vectors and their menace should be controlled in household conditions by home remedies. Microbial composition they carry varies with ambient environmental conditions. External skeletal structures and internal digestive tract of cockroaches harbor microbes. Most of the insects are found to have fascinating ability to induce antimicrobial peptides within their body in response to outside stimuli. Antimicrobial peptides play an important role in the first line of host defense system in many animal species (mainly studied in invertebrates, Seraj et.al.2003). Survival strategy to resist or withstand these pathogens could be due to internal controls - either body fluids (hemolymph) or the brain. In current study, brain extracts were assessed as sources of antibiotics and their efficacy as inhibitors of wide range of pathogenic bacteria.

Keywords: Pathogenic bacteria, vector, brain extract, efficacy