Antimicrobial and anticancer potential of fungus induced peptides and isolation of related genes from Psoralea corylifolia

Abstract

Extensive use of antimicrobials has led to evolution of bacterial resistance. Pathogenic exposure of plants stimulates the synthesis of an array of proteins and peptides against the pathogenic micro-organisms which are potential sources for the development of new pharmacological formulations to treat different diseases. The present project was devoted to screening of a medicinal plant Psoralea corylifolia (P. corylifolia) for antifungal and antibacterial activites of seeds and seedlings under Fusarium solani stress. Also seed and seedling protein extracts obtained at different time intervals after the fungal stress were evaluated for cytotoxic, mutagenic and antioxidant activities. Maximum antimicrobial activity was shown against Escherichia coli and Pasteurella multocida among bacterial strains and Fusarium solani and Trichoderma harzianum among fungal strains. Minimum inhibitory concentrations of protein extracts ranged in 0.125-0.25 µM concentration. A peptide of 9 kDa was isolated from SDS-PAGE analysis at 8 hour post induction that could have therapeutic potential in future. P. corylifolia seeds crude extract and eight hour induced protein extract possessed significant antitumor and cytotoxic activities (P < 0.05). Protein extracts showed potential antioxidant activity with P < 0.05. Mutagenic activity of P. corylifolia was also evaluated and they were also found to be non-mutagenic. Six defensin genes were amplified from DNA isolated from P. corylifolia. In conclusion, the present study has allowed characterization of the bioactive potential of P. corylifolia. Further study of isolated peptides and genes could unveil the defense mechanism against cancer and development of healthier transgenic plants.