Antibacterial properties of larval secretions of the blowfly, Lucilia sericata
- 30 August 2005
- journal article
- Published by Wiley in Medical and Veterinary Entomology
- Vol. 19 (3), 333-337
- https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2915.2005.00577.x
Abstract
The antibacterial properties of secretions aseptically collected from larvae of the greenbottle fly Lucilia sericata (Meigen) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) were examined. These investigations revealed the presence of small (Staphylococcus aureus, both methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA), Streptococcus pyogenes and to a lesser extent the Gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa. These secretions were shown to be highly stable as a freeze-dried preparation and, considering the activity against organisms typically associated with clinical infection, may be a source of novel antibiotic-like compounds that may be used for infection control and in the fight against MRSA.Keywords
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