Antimicrobial Effects of Hirudo verbana on Staphylococcus aureus: An In Vitro Research Article
Year: 2025
Type: preprint
Abstract: The European medicinal leech, Hirudo verbana, has been reported to release bioactive compounds such as antimicrobial peptides, enzymes, and immunomodulators, which were hypothesized to possess activities toward some of the most problematic skin and soft tissue infection organisms, namely, Staphylococcus aureus and its methicillin-resistant strains (MRSA). A simulated in vitro study using CLSI/EUCAST guidelines was designed to explore the antimicrobial and anti-biofilm effects of two leech-secreted peptides, HvAMP2 and Hv-destabilase. The peptide HvAMP2 was found to have MIC values of 8-16 µg/mL against both MSSA and MRSA; it inhibited more than 70% of biofilm formation at 1× MIC and partially eradicating established biofilms at 4× MIC. The other peptide, Hv-destabilase, did not show any significant planktonic activity but synergized with HvAMP2 and oxacillin. Transcriptional profiling indicated the downregulation of cell wall and adhesion genes. The current results suggest that the peptides from H. verbana are multi-targeting, membrane-active agents that interfere with the synthesis of peptidoglycan and biofilms and are worthy of further studies into their possible antibiotic-synergistic activities.
Source: SSRN Electronic Journal
DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.5492148
Author: Naser MATLABI
Institution: Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa
Language: English
Subfield: Pharmacology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W4413377053