Background:
Hepcidin is a short (20–25 amino acids) cationic, cysteine-rich antimicrobial peptide synthesized in liver, which also regulates iron concentration. Hepcidin is induced by infection and inflammation. Recent studies have shown that this small peptide exhibits antimicrobial activity against infections of bacteria, virus, fungus, and parasites in different fish species. However, there is no such attempt made to characterize hepcidin of Indian major carp, rohu and minor carp, Puntius sarana. Technology Details:
Recombinant Hepcidin of sarana and rohu was found to be having lytic property against wide range of both Gram positive and negative bacteria. With an era of increasing antimicrobial resistance pattern to conventional synthetic antibiotics, this recombinant protein could be a potential alternative to antibiotics. It could be also used for development of ELISA based assay system.