Immunotoxicological studies of Staphylococcin of CA-MRSA

Abstract

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolated from the nares of school going children (CA-MRSA) has been found to produce bacteriocin like inhibitory substance tentatively termed staphylococcin. It has a broad activity spectrum against many Gram positive bacteria including Staphylococcus aureus which suggests that the protein molecule can be used as an alternative for antibiotics. In this regard, the bacteriocin was studied for its immunological and toxicological properties in experimental mice. The antigenicity/immunogenicity of bacteriocin was assayed by ouchterlony technique. Accordingly, staphylococcin is antigenic ally poor, in the mice immune system and the antibody titre was not found to be significant in the ouchterlony technique. The acute and chronic toxic studies do not show any toxic effects in laboratory mice when injected with different doses of bacteriocin (20, 40, 60 and 80μg/ml). Hematological studies with staphylococcin showed a marginal increase in lymphocyte count in the test animal groups. Further, different doses of staphylococcin showed no significant biochemical changes in the normal profile of mice blood biochemistry.