A STUDY ON ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF VENOM OBTAINED FROM NASTY RED FIRE ANTS (Solenopsis sp.)

ASWATHI. V; VIJIMOLE. P. J.; Dr. ROSALINE MARY

Volume : X, Issue : VII, July - 2020

A STUDY ON ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF VENOM OBTAINED FROM NASTY RED FIRE ANTS (Solenopsis sp.)

Aswathi. V, Vijimole. P. J. , Dr. Rosaline Mary

Abstract :

Ants are one of the most successful insect groups on the planet. They are often large, complex societies. Ants of the genus Solenopsis are known as ﬁre ants because of their painful stings. The sting is used for colony defence, prey capture, and antimicrobial action. Fire ant venom is an aqueous solution. It contains proteins, venom alkaloids and is used against their enemies. An investigation was carried out in the laboratory to evaluate the antibacterial activity of the Nasty red fire ant venom extract. The antibacterial activity of nasty red fire ant extract was determined on selected bacterial strains. Well diffusion method of nasty red fire ant venom extract showed the antibacterial activity against the strains Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus Inhibition zone was absent in Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. In this study, the ant venom extract showed inhibitory effect on some common bacterial strains.