Purification of equine neutrophil lysozyme and its antibacterial activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.

The research article focuses on the purification process of lysozyme, an antibacterial enzyme, derived from equine neutrophil granulocytes and its effective antibacterial activity against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.

Purification of Lysozyme

• The study presents a method for the purification of equine neutrophil lysozyme using fast performance liquid chromatography techniques. This involved ion-exchange chromatography and reversed-phase chromatography. These scientific processes are used to isolate the desired component, the lysozyme, in its purest form from the mixtures obtained from equine neutrophil granulocytes.

Antibacterial Activity

• The purified lysozyme demonstrates strong antibacterial activity. It successfully lysed, or broke down, gram-positive bacteria such as Micrococcus luteus, Bacillus subtilis, and Staphylococcus lentus.
• The lysozyme also demonstrated bactericidal effects, or bacteria-killing activity, on gram-negative bacteria strains, such as Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Bordetella bronchiseptica, and Serratia marcescens.
• However, two strains of gram-positive bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis, were not lysed by the lysozyme, but they were very slightly affected.

Comparative Analysis

• Equine neutrophil lysozyme and chicken egg white lysozymes were compared in the study. It was found that, healthwise, these lysozymes were related. This conclusion was drawn based on tests conducted using specific antisera against each of them.
• Both types of lysozymes exhibited similar specific enzymatic activities against the membranes of Micrococcus luteus.

In conclusion, the study suggests that equine neutrophil lysozyme, once properly purified, offers potential as an effective antibacterial agent against a range of bacteria types with minor exceptions. Further, it is found to align closely with the behavior of lysozymes derived from chicken egg whites.