Immunostimulation by phospholipopeptide biosurfactant from Staphylococcus hominis in Oreochromis mossambicus

• Phospholipopeptide biosurfactant, a protective subcellular components derived from S. hominis strain.
• Phospholipopeptide biosurfactant enhanced specific and nonspecific immune response of O. mossambicus.
• Phospholipopeptide biosurfactant reduced mortality against Aeromonas hydrophila infection.

The immunostimulatory effect of phospholipopeptide biosurfactant from Staphylococcus hominis (GenBank Accession No: KJ564272) was assessed with Oreochromis mossambicus. The non-specific (serum lysozyme activity, serum antiprotease activity, serum peroxidase activity and serum bactericidal activity), specific (bacterial agglutination assay) immune responses and disease resistance activity against Aeromonas hydrophila were examined. Fish were intraperitonially injected with water soluble secondary metabolite (biosurfactant) of S. hominis at a dose of 2 mg, 20 mg and 200 mg kg−1 body weight. Commercial surfactant surfactin (sigma) at 20 mg kg−1 was used as standard and saline as negative control. All the doses of water soluble biosurfactant tested, significantly enhanced the specific, nonspecific immunity and disease resistance from the day of post administration of phospholipopeptide biosurfactant till the tail of the experimental period. These results clearly indicated that the secondary metabolite isolated from S. hominis stimulates the immunity of finfish thereby could enhance aquaculture production.