Hybridization of Honeybee and Frog Peptides: Antimicrobial Peptides Composed of Apidaecins and Temporins With Enhanced Activity and Production of Their Electrospun Nanofibers

ABSTRACT The increased usage and misuse of antibiotics cause antimicrobial resistance, which makes it necessary to develop new antibiotic agents. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) could be a significant solution to addressing this issue. Antimicrobial temporin 1Ta and temporin 1Tb peptides, derived from frog skin secretions, exhibit notable activity against Gram (+) bacteria; on the other hand, apidaecin 1b peptide, obtained from honeybees, is effective against Gram (−) bacteria. In this study, hybrid AMPs were synthesized by merging temporin 1Ta and temporin 1Tb with apidaecin 1b to produce peptides that are active against a broad spectrum of microorganisms. Furthermore, the hybrid peptides were mixed with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) polymer to produce bioactive nanofibers by electrospinning. The synthesized peptides and the nanofibers were tested on various Gram (+) and Gram (−) bacteria (E. coli ATCC 25922, P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853, S. aureus ATCC 29213, and E. faecalis ATCC 29212). As a result, the hybrid peptides were found to have a reasonable antibacterial effect on both bacterial groups. In addition, peptide‐containing nanofibers preserved the antibacterial activity as well. The hemolytic activities of the peptides were also examined, and it was found that the hybrid peptides were not lethal to red blood cells at a concentration of 16 μM.