Evaluation of antibacterial activity of hexanedioic acid isolated from Hermetia illucens larvae

Hermetia illucens larvae have been used in Europe and America as a medical resource and medicinal insect for the treatment of skin damage such as burns and wound healing. This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of a new substance causing antibacterial activity against various pathogenic bacteria, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The antibacterial activity of hexanedioic acid was determined using different antimicrobial indicators such as turbidometric assay, resazurin assay, and agar disk diffusion. Hexanedioic acid showed the selective-growth inhibitory effects against the growth and proliferation of Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA, Klebsiella pneumonia, and Shigella dysenteriae in a concentration dependent manner. The growth inhibitory zones of bacteria treated with 80 μg/ml of hexanedioic acid for 24 h were measured as 18.27 ± 0.18, 23.35 ± 0.15, 16.62 ± 0.18, and 12.96 ± 0.24 mm, respectively. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of hexanedioic acid against the viability of these bacteria for 24 h were measured as 140.377, 137.369, 139.117, and 139.704 μg/ml, respectively. These results demonstrate that hexanedioic acid has antibacterial properties that effectively inhibit the growth/proliferation of pathogenic bacteria. Furthermore, this study suggests novel aspects for the utilization of hexanedioic acid as a medicinal substance.