Journal of Clinical Toxicology
Open Access

Abstract

Insights into the Antimicrobial Activities of Unusual Antimicrobial Peptide Families from Amphibian Skin

Marlon Henrique Cardoso, Nicole Berwanger Cobacho, Mariana Dornelles Cherobim, Michelle Flaviane Soares Pinto, Cristiane dos Santos, Mariana Rocha Maximiano, Everaldo Gonçalves de Barros, Simoni Campos Dias and Octávio Luiz Franco

Frog’s skin secretions are known to present peculiar characteristics involving an arsenal of bioactive molecules. These organisms, in response to stress, injury or predator attack, release a viscous toxic secretion through granular glands containing biogenic amines, alkaloids, steroids, proteins and also peptides. Among such compounds, the antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are responsible to play an important role in amphibian first-line defense against pathogenic microorganisms such as Gram-negative and positive bacteria, fungi and virus. In amphibians, AMPs have been isolated from different species and functionally studied, presenting not only antimicrobial but also antitumor, antifungal, anti-protozoa and spermicidal activities. However, a large number of AMPs have also shown cytotoxic activities against mammalian cells. In order to develop novel anti-infective drugs with low side effects, recent research has also been done to describe novel frog AMPs with different structural patterns. In this context, this review will focus on the antimicrobial activities of nine recently discovered amphibian AMPs including phylloseptins, nigrocins, japonicins, palustrins, parkerins, jingdongins, medusins, limnonectins and hylaranins. The biochemical properties will be discussed, as well as their possible applications in human health as new alternatives to conventional medicines.