Natural Antimicrobial Peptides in Animal Nutrition

Dear colleagues,

One of the research lines of our team is related to antimicrobial peptides.

We strongly believe that during the next years bioactive peptides, including antimicrobial peptides ( AMP ), will be especially crucial in the latter case to improve animal health through nutrition with natural molecules that reduce antibiotic dependence and avoid antimicrobial resistance.

AMP are low molecular weight proteins (<10,000 Dalton), belonging to a diverse and abundant group of biomolecules that are produced in various types of animal and plant cells, and have broad biological activity against bacteria, viruses, and fungi.

AMP are part of the natural innate immune system of animals and plants, they form a defense system similar to the innate immunity observed in animals, protecting them from pathogens and pests. These usually have a common characteristic: the presence of even-numbered cysteine residues connected by disulfide bridges, which makes them highly stable.

In addition, their amino acid composition, amphipathicity, helicity, cationicity and size make them capable of inserting into lipid bacterial membranes, leading the target microorganism to death by at least 9 hypothesized mechanisms of action:

1) electroporation

2) carpet model

3) thinning or thickening of the membrane

4) non lytic membrane depolarization

5) toroidal pore

6) oxidized lipid targeting

7) barrel stave

8) disordered toroidal pore

9) non-bilayer intermediate

At NBG we have been researching for almost one year on bioactive peptides GMO free, among them AMP, and the first results are coming, we just ask for some more patience from our customers, and we will have available a reliable source of peptides with very interesting functions and secondary nutritional effects.

Finally, here is an article that gives an interesting overview of their potential. Enjoy it.