Antimicrobial Activity of an Fmoc-Plantaricin 149 Derivative Peptide against Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria.

Antimicrobial resistance poses a major threat to public health. Given the paucity of novel antimicrobials to treat resistant infections, the emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria renewed interest in antimicrobial peptides as potential therapeutics. This study designed a new analog of the antimicrobial peptide Plantaricin 149 (Pln149-PEP20) based on previous Fmoc-peptides.

Lectin from red algae Amansia multifida Lamouroux: Extraction, characterization and anti-inflammatory activity.

Seaweed lectins are very promising biotechnological tools that also gain prominence when applied to the pharmacology field. The purpose of the present work was to isolate and characterize lectin from the red algae Amansia multifida and subsequently test it in general inflammation models. The lectin was purified by ion exchange chromatography, characterized with two-dimensional electrophoresis, automated analysis of amino acid sequences and circular dichroism spectroscopy.

Unveiling the binding and orientation of the antimicrobial peptide Plantaricin 149 in zwitterionic and negatively charged membranes.

Antimicrobial peptides are a large group of natural compounds which present promising properties for the pharmaceutical and food industries, such as broad-spectrum activity, potential for use as natural preservatives, and reduced propensity for development of bacterial resistance. Plantaricin 149 (Pln149), isolated from Lactobacillus plantarum NRIC 149, is an intrinsically disordered peptide with the ability to inhibit bacteria from the Listeria and Staphylococcus genera, and which is capable of promoting inhibition and disruption of yeast cells. In this study, the interactions of Pln149 with model membranes composed of zwitterionic and/or anionic phospholipids were investigated using a range of biophysical techniques, including isothermal titration calorimetry, surface tension measurements, synchrotron radiation circular dichroism spectroscopy, oriented circular dichroism spectroscopy, and optical microscopy, to elucidate these peptides' mode of interactions and provide insight into their functional roles.

Freeing Oneself From Intimate Partner Violence: A Follow-Up of Women Who Contacted an Anti-violence Center in Italy.

This study examines the situation of women ( N = 124) who had presented themselves to an anti-violence center in Italy in the previous 3-5 years. At follow-up, 37.3% had no contact with the perpetrator, 22.