ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF SKIN SECRETION AND ITS EXTRACTION FROM THE TOAD Bufo melanostictus

K. Thirupathi, G. Chandrakala, L. Krishna, T. Bheem Rao and Dr. Y. Venkaiah*

ABSTRACT

Skin secretion of Amphibians generally contain multiple antimicrobial peptides with distinct spectra of activity and it has been speculated that the animal is protected from invasion by a wide array of different microorganisms. The objective of the present study was to assess the antimicrobial properties of skin secretion and its extract from Indian toad Bufo melanostictus (Schneider). The collected skin secretion was filter-sterilized, freeze-dried and subjected to antibacterial assay. Antibacterial activity of toad skin secretion was tested on Asthana Hawkers agar medium plates seeded with the species of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus vulgaris and Klebseilla pneumoniae through well diffusion technique by using Zone of inhibition (ZOI) method. An inhibition was observed with 40μl/ml of frog skin secretion. Results showed that the skin secretion of toad has antibacterial activity against four strains. All the skin secretion and extraction have showed nearest inhibition zones i.e., viz., 30mm, 27mm, 28mm,33mm,19mm, 24mm, 19mm and 25mm.Hence,we conclude that the skin secretion and extract can be employed in the development of potent antibacterial agents used to treat infectious diseases.

Keywords: Skin secretion, Asthana Hawkers agar medium, Zone of inhibition, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus vulgaris, Klebseilla pneumoniae.