The search for new biological activities for selected insect peptides

New biological properties of selected insect peptides are presented. The subjects of the investigation included insect oostatic peptides, like Neb-colloostatin (I) and Neb-TMOF(II), and/or insect peptides with antiviral or antitumor activity, such as alloferon (III) and its analogues modified at position 1 of the peptide chain. In the study was also included the oligopeptide Any-GS (VII) and its truncated analogues. The peptides were tested for antimicrobial activity on a series of bacterial species, antiviral activity against Human Herpes Virus type 1 (HHV-1) in vitro using a Vero cell line, and the growth and development of plant pathogens Phoma narcissi and Botrytis tulipae. The results of the biological investigations indicate that among the peptides investigated, compounds VII and IX inhibit the growth of plant pathogens P. narcissi and B. tulipae, whereas compounds I and II stimulate the mycelium growth of the aforementioned pathogens. Other peptides show slow antimicrobial activity but do not inhibit the replication of HHV-1 in Vero cells.