Identification and structural insights of three novel antimicrobial peptides isolated from green coconut water
Abstract
Infections caused by pathogenic bacteria could cause an expressive negative impact on human health. A significant enhance in resistance to commercial antibiotics has been observed in all kinds of pathogenic bacteria. In order to find novel approaches to control such common infections, a wide number of defense peptides with bactericidal properties have been characterized. In this report, three peptides lower than 3kDa were purified and identified from green coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) water by using reversed phase-high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), showing molecular masses of 858Da, 1249Da and 950Da. First one, named Cn-AMP1, was extremely efficient against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, being MICs calculated for three peptides. All complete sequences were determined by MALDI-ToF analysis showing no identity in databanks. Moreover, peptide net charge and hydrophobicity of each peptide was in silico evaluated. Finally molecular modeling and dynamics were also applied generating peptides three-dimensional structures, indicating a better explanation to probable mechanisms of action. Cn-AMPs here reported show remarkable potential to contribute in the development of novel antibiotics from natural sources.
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The antibacterial peptides Cn-AMPs have great potential to become new natural antibiotics.
“The antibacterial peptides termed Cn-AMPs have great potential to become new natural antibiotics [54].”
From Research Progress in Coconut Water: A Review of Nutritional Composition, Biological Activities, and Novel Processing Technologies (2025) · cites this paper as [54]
The longest adaptation/lag time of E. coli in fresh coconut water could have been influenced by low nutrient bioavailability, the presence or actions of antibacterial proteins, and complex enzyme products.
“The longest adaptation/lag time with respect to fresh coconut water, could have been influenced by factors such as low nutrient bioavailability, the presence or actions of proteins with antibacterial properties and complex enzyme products that have been reported to be present in it [9].”
From Potential Bacterial Health Risk Posed to Consumers of Fresh Coconut (<i>Cocos nucifera</i> L.) Water (2012) · cites this paper as [9]
Antibacterial peptides and other growth limiting substances in coconut would have a minimal contribution in influencing the growth of K. pneumoniae in contaminated coconut water.
“Although the possible contributions of growth inhibitory antibacterial peptides and other growth limiting substances reported to be present in coconut [3,9,15] cannot be evaluated with the results of this study, it is clear that these would have a minimal contribution in influencing the growth of K. pneumoniae in contaminated coconut water.”
From Potential Bacterial Health Risk Posed to Consumers of Fresh Coconut (<i>Cocos nucifera</i> L.) Water (2012) · cites this paper as [9]
Many studies reported the presence of three antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) in CW that appear to be inhibitory to Gram-positive and Gram-negative human pathogens.
“Many studies reported the presence of three antimicrobial peptides (AMP's) in CW that appear to be inhibitory to Gram-positive and Gramnegative human pathogens (Mandal et al., 2009;Nasimuddin et al., 2016).”
From The use of High-Pressure Processing (HPP) to improve the safety and quality of raw coconut (Cocos nucifera L) water (2020) · cites this paper as Mandal et al., 2009
These small peptides, namely Cn-AMPs, had molecular masses of 858 Da, 1249 Da and 950 Da.
“These small peptides, namely Cn-AMPs, had molecular masses of 858 Da, 1249 Da and 950 Da.”
From Coconut water uses, composition and properties: a review (2012) · cites this paper as [86]
Three peptides <3 kDa were purified and identified from coconut water using reversed-phase HPLC.
“Using reversedphase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), three peptides < 3 kDa were purified and identified.”
From Coconut water uses, composition and properties: a review (2012) · cites this paper as [86]
Cn-AMPs showed remarkable potential for the development of novel antibiotics from natural sources.
“Cn-AMPs showed remarkable potential for the development of novel antibiotics from natural sources.”
From Coconut water uses, composition and properties: a review (2012) · cites this paper as [86]
The data reported here corroborate the theoretical data presented for Cn-AMP1 by molecular modeling.
“Indeed, data reported here corroborate the theoretical data presented for Cn-AMP1 by using molecular modeling [9,11].”
From Structural insights into <i>Cn</i>‐AMP1, a short disulfide‐free multifunctional peptide from green coconut water (2015) · cites this paper as [9]
Cn-AMP1 is a promiscuous peptide with activity against bacteria, fungi, cancer cells, and immunostimulatory activity.
“These features give the peptide Cn-AMP1 a promiscuous character, even not presenting disulfide bond connection [9,11].”
From Structural insights into <i>Cn</i>‐AMP1, a short disulfide‐free multifunctional peptide from green coconut water (2015) · cites this paper as [9]
Cn-AMP1 is a disulfide-free peptide isolated from green coconut water.
“Cn-AMP1, a disulfide-free peptide isolated from green coconut water”
From Structural insights into <i>Cn</i>‐AMP1, a short disulfide‐free multifunctional peptide from green coconut water (2015) · cites this paper as [9]
Cn-AMP1 is more active against four bacterial strains including Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
“These three peptides showed deleterious activity against multiple Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria, with Cn-AMP1 being more active against four bacterial strains including Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.”
From Structural insights into <i>Cn</i>‐AMP1, a short disulfide‐free multifunctional peptide from green coconut water (2015) · cites this paper as [9]
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- Authors
- Mandal, S. M., Dey, S., Mandal, M., Sarkar, S., Maria-Neto, S., & Franco, O. L.
- Affiliations
- Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IN)
- Universidade Católica de Brasília (BR)
- Venue
- Peptides
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2009-04
- Volume
- 30
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 633-637
- ISSN
- 0196-9781 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2022021118
- Semantic Scholar
- 31b52953104fa93f70e29e75e2d60dbcb60056e9
- Cited by
- 136
- References
- 31
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 15 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 12 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 12 · 2013: 8 · 2012: 13
- FWCI
- 3.76
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Peptides (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Microbiology › Antimicrobial Peptides and Activities
- Physical Sciences › Chemistry › Organic Chemistry › Antimicrobial agents and applications
- Physical Sciences › Chemistry › Inorganic Chemistry › Coconut Research and Applications
- Keywords
- antimicrobial peptides, green coconut water, Cocos nucifera, novel peptides, peptide purification, minimum inhibitory concentration, Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria, antibiotic resistance, molecular dynamics simulation, peptide structure
- MeSH terms
- Amino Acid Sequence, Anti-Infective Agents, Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid, Cocos, Models, Molecular, Molecular Weight, Peptides, Plant Extracts, Protein Conformation, Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet, Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization
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