ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITIES OF NATURAL AND RECOMBINANT SPIDER SILK – A REVIEW

Spider silk is a protein fibre spun by spiders and they use their silk for a variety of purposes such as for making webs or other structures, which function as sticky nets to catch their prey, or as nets or cocoons to protect their offspring, or for depositing sperms etc. It has a variety of properties that make them useful in a range of potential industrial and medical applications. Spider silk has been used for making fishing gears and lures, weaving ceremonial and bullet- proof garments and also used clinically as surgical sutures for centuries due to its biocompatibility, slow degradability and high tensile strength. Research on its antibacterial activity is important for humans as they are facing novel and harmful pathogens day by day. Most of the microorganisms are becoming resistant to many antibacterial agents. This review is an attempt to discuss the antimicrobial activities of natural and recombinant spider silk. Our studies revealed that antibacterial activities are exhibited by the silk of some specific species of spiders. (Pardosa brevivulva, Eriovixia excelsa, Stegodyphus sarasinorum, Cyclosa confraga, Nephila pilipes, Pholcus phalangioides, Tegenaria domestica, Pityohyphantes phrygianus, Parawixia dehaani, Crossopriza lyoni, Neoscona theisi and Argiope trifasciata). The silk of some spider species (Linothele fallax, Linothele megatheloides, Argiope aurantia and Latrodectus hesperus) do not show such activity. It was observed that gram positive bacteria are more susceptible to spider silk than gram negative bacteria. Recombinant spider silk also possesses a high potential for biomedical applications because of its anti-microbial property, biocompatibility and biodegradability. Antimicrobial properties of spider silk can also be influenced by the diet and environmental conditions. Further future studies in this regard may lead to the discovery of novel biomaterials and new therapeutic drugs against microbes which will be of great significance especially in this pandemic situation.