Antimicrobial peptides from Capsicum chinense fruits: agronomic alternatives against phytopathogenic fungi

Layrana De Azevedo Dos Santos,Marciele Souza Da Silva,Rosana Rodrigues,André Teixeira-Ferreira,Jonas Perales,Valdirene Moreira Gomes,André De Oliveira Carvalho,Lídia Da Silva Pereira,Érica De Oliveira Mello,Rodrigo Da Silva Gebara,Gabriel Bonan Taveira

doi:10.1042/bsr20200950

Layrana De Azevedo Dos Santos, Marciele Souza Da Silva + Show 9 more

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https://doi.org/10.1042/bsr20200950

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Abstract

In recent years, the antimicrobial activity of peptides isolated from a wide variety of organs from plant species has been reported. However, a few studies have investigated the potential of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) found in fruits, especially Capsicum chinense (pepper). The present study aimed to purify and characterize peptides from Capsicum chinense fruits and evaluate their inhibitory activities against different phytopathogenic fungi and also analyze the possible mechanisms of action involved in microbial inhibition. After fruit protein extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), different fractions were obtained, named F1 to F10. Peptides in the F4 and F5 fractions were sequenced and revealed similarity with the plant antimicrobial peptides like non-specific lipid transfer proteins and defensin-like peptide. The F4 and F5 fractions presented strong antimicrobial activity against the fungus Fusarium solani and Fusarium oxysporum, causing toxic effects on these fungi, leading to membrane permeabilization, endogenous reactive oxygen species increase, activation of metacaspase and loss of mitochondrial function.

Highlights

Pepper (Capsicum spp.) represents one of the most important vegetables in the world due to its high versatility with wide range of applications in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, decoration, and culinary industries [1]
Because the importance of the medicinal properties and mainly our interest in the antimicrobial activities already shown in the literature for Capsicum sp, in this work, we isolated and characterized antimicrobial peptide (AMP) of C. chinense fruits and evaluated their mechanism of action on microorganisms of agronomic interest
Taveira et al [12] observed, at different concentrations, the potent activity of a peptide isolated from C. annuum fruits against the yeasts S. cerevisiae, C. albicans and C. tropicalis and the bacteria Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Summary

Introduction

Pepper (Capsicum spp.) represents one of the most important vegetables in the world due to its high versatility with wide range of applications in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, decoration, and culinary industries [1]. The genus Capsicum belongs to the Solanaceae family, commonly known as pepper or paprika; this genus has a wide genetic diversity, composed of 38 described species, including 22 semidomesticated or wild species and only five domesticated species There are currently serious concerns about the increasing resistance of pathogens and the use of pesticides and the negative impacts that they are causing to human health and environment [5]. In this context, AMPs (antimicrobial peptides) appear to be a promising alternative to overcome this problem. AMPs are small molecules produced by all living organisms and License 4.0 (CC BY)

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