Screening of epidermal mucus from Neogobius fluviatilis pallasi for finding antimicrobial peptides

In recent years the advent and spread of diverse multidrug-resistant bacteria have been a main object of concern to the medical field and the public health. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are short, usually positive charge and hydrophobic molecules observed in an extensive array of life forms from prokaryotes to eukaryotes including humans. Introducing the group of molecules has been promising as that has some benefits over the significant world well-being concerns. This research describes the antimicrobial activity of the epidermal exudates extract of Neogobius fluviatilis pallasi and its size-based fractionations for the first time. The results showed that epidermal mucus extract and its fractionations were toxic to Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus with radial of inhibition 12.25 and 19.25 mm, respectively. However, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Vibrio harveyi, Yersinia ruckeri were resistant. Proteolytic treatment with proteinase K led to depleting the antibacterial properties of fractions, indicating that the active agent possess a proteinaceous nature. Overall, these results propose that fish skin mucus is a rich and valuable source for finding novel AMPs with potential applications in aquaculture and medicine.