Study of egg silks from medically important spiders: Evaluation of antimicrobial and tumoricidal activities

• Grant number: 24/06144-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: October 01, 2024
• End date: September 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biology
• Principal Investigator: Manuela Berto Pucca
• Grantee: Eduardo Frezarin da Silva
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas (FCFAR). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araraquara. Araraquara , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Brazil, with its vast territorial extension and diverse ecosystems, harbors a remarkable biodiversity of spiders, representing a rich field for bioprospecting studies. In addition to many species of spiders producing venoms, many of which are of medical importance, it is known that these animals deposit components with different functions in their webs and oothecae, including microbicidal properties. Oothecae are egg-laying structures found in various species of spiders. Knowing that oothecae primarily serve to protect the offspring, studies have shown that they contain components with microbicidal activities. This study aims to investigate the components present in oothecae of spiders of the species Phoneutria nigriventer (armed spider), Latrodectus geometricus (brown widow), and Loxosceles sp (brown recluse) in order to evaluate potential cytotoxic, antimicrobial, and antitumoral activities. To achieve this, different strategies for obtaining the soluble ootheca extract (SOE) will be evaluated, as well as its derived protein content through SDS-PAGE electrophoresis. The protein dosage of the SOE will be performed using the BCA method. To evaluate the antimicrobial activity of the SOE, recognized methods such as disk diffusion and microdilution following BrCAST-EUCAST and Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute - CLSI protocols will be employed. Different strains will be selected for the study, including multidrug-resistant bacteria isolated from infectious processes. The antitumoral evaluation will be performed on cell lines of acute T-cell leukemia (Jurkat), Burkitt's lymphoma (Raji and Daudi), and acute B-cell leukemia (Nalm-6). This project will not only deepen our understanding of the components present in oothecae of medically important spiders in Brazil but also offer valuable insights into the pharmacological potential of oothecae, highlighting possible therapeutic applications.