Abstract
Resistance to chemotherapy occurs in various diseases (i.e., cancer and infection), and for this reason, both are very difficult to treat. Therefore, novel antimicrobial and chemotherapic drugs are needed for effective antibiotic therapy. The aim of the present study was to assess the antimicrobial and anti-proliferative effects of skin mucus derived from Dasyatis pastinaca (Linnaeus, 1758). Our results showed that skin mucus exhibited a significant and specific antibacterial activity against Gram-negative bacteria but not against Gram-positive bacteria. Furthermore, we also observed a significant antifungal activity against some strains of Candida spp. Concerning anti-proliferative activity, we showed that fish mucus was specifically toxic for acute leukemia cells (HL60) with an inhibition of proliferation in a dose dependent manner (about 52% at 1000 μg/mL of fish skin mucous, FSM). Moreover, we did not observe effects in healthy cells, in neuroblastoma cells (SH-SY5Y), and multiple myeloma cell lines (MM1, U266). Finally, it exhibited strong expression and activity of chitinase which may be responsible, at least in part, for the aforementioned results.
Highlights
The rise and spread of antibiotic resistance represent a unique challenge to both science and medicine
The growth inhibition activity was tested for the following pathogens: Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, E. coli ATCC 35218, Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 700603, and Streptococcus agalactiae DSM 2134
The latter finding was probably due to the presence of outer
Summary
The rise and spread of antibiotic resistance represent a unique challenge to both science and medicine. Resistance to chemotherapy evolves in only two types of diseases—cancer and infection, and for this reason, both are very difficult to treat [1]. Several studies were recently carried out in order to identify new antimicrobial agents to overcome such issue. Several natural agents have been shown to exhibit various grade of antimicrobial activity and among them, fish mucus is emerging as one of the most active. The external body of fish is covered by a layer of mucus secreted by specialized cells in the epidermal layer conferring mechanical protective and lubricant functions as well as reducing body friction in water and assisting in swimming [2,3] It contains a variety of biologically active substances, such as complements, immunoglobulins, lectins, protease inhibitors, and lytic enzymes—including lysozyme—serving as defense substances [2,3]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
