Avaliação in silico e do potencial antiparasitário e antimicrobiano de peptídeos derivados do transcriptoma da formiga Odontomachus chelifer

Abstract

The venom of the ant Odontomachus chelifer contains a rich repertoire of molecules with potential biological activity, including antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). This study evaluated the antiparasitic and antimicrobial activity of three peptides (P1, P2, and P3) derived from the transcriptome of this species. Initially, the peptides were synthesized by solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) and characterized in silico regarding their physicochemical properties, 3D modeling, and structural validation using tools such as QMEANDisCo, Errat, and Ramachandran. Experimentally, none of the peptides showed cytotoxicity against Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis at the tested concentrations. However, their Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) was determined against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans. Two peptides (P2 and P3) exhibited antibacterial activity against S. aureus, and all showed effects against E. coli and antifungal activity, with peptide P1 being the most effective against C. albicans (MIC = 62.5 µg/mL). These findings indicate that O. chelifer-derived peptides hold potential for antimicrobial applications; however, further studies are required to elucidate their mechanism of action.