The antioxidant peptide salamandrin-i: First bioactive peptide identified from skin secretion of salamandra genus (salamandra salamandra)

Alexandra Plácido, João Bueno, Eder A. Barbosa, Daniel C. Moreira, Jhones Do Nascimento Dias, Wanessa Felix Cabral, Patrícia Albuquerque, Lucinda J. Bessa, Jaime Freitas, Selma A.S. Kuckelhaus, Filipe C.D.A. Lima, Augusto Batagin-Neto, Guilherme D. Brand, João B. Relvas, José Roberto S.A. Leite, Peter Eaton

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

27 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Amphibian skin is a multifunctional organ that plays key roles in defense, breathing, and water balance. In this study, skin secretion samples of the fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra) were separated using RP-HPLC and de novo sequenced using MALDI-TOF MS/MS. Next, we used an in silico platform to screen antioxidant molecules in the framework of density functional theory. One of the identified peptides, salamandrin-I, [M + H]+ = 1406.6 Da, was selected for solid-phase synthesis; it showed free radical scavenging activity against DPPH and ABTS radicals. Salamandrin-I did not show antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and-negative bacteria. In vitro assays using human microglia and red blood cells showed that salamandrin-I has no cytotoxicity up to the concentration of 100 µM. In addition, in vivo toxicity tests on Galleria mellonella larvae resulted in no mortality at 20 and 40 mg/kg. Antioxidant peptides derived from natural sources are increasingly attracting interest. Among several applications, these peptides, such as salamandrin-I, can be used as templates in the design of novel antioxidant molecules that may contribute to devising strategies for more effective control of neurological disease.

Original languageEnglish
Article number512
JournalBiomolecules
Volume10
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Apr 2020
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Antioxidant peptides
  • Bioactive molecules
  • Portuguese biodiversity
  • Salamandra salamandra

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