ABSTRACT:
Recent studies on bacteria and insects have shown that lactic acid bacteria (LAB) establish symbiotic relationships with various species of honey bees. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) found in humans and other animals contribute significantly to host defense by generating antimicrobial compounds and modulating immune responses. Research has shown that LAB strains isolated from honeybees promote health and help reduce pathogen presence. Among the diverse LAB species found in various environments, Lactiplantibacillus is one of the most versatile. This research focused on isolating and identifying Lactiplantibacillus plantarum from the honey stomach of Indian honeybees (Apis cerana indica). Genomic DNA was extracted from worker honeybees, amplified through PCR, and identified as Lactiplantibacillus plantarum using 16S rRNA sequencing. The identified strain was subsequently submitted to GenBank at the National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) under accession number OQ439305, and a phylogenetic tree was developed for the isolated strain. Further, the characterization studies showed the presence of secondary low molecular peptides, which are proven to exhibit antimicrobial properties when they are exposed to some common enteric pathogens in vivo. The study was also extended to find the anticancer ability of the secondary peptides of L. plantarum by exposing them to the MCF-7 cell line, which induces overall changes through the apoptosis process. These results suggest that the honey bee gut is home to bacteria that produce important secondary peptides with antimicrobial and anticancer potential.