No abstract

Aims:  To determine the capacity of secondary metabolite of strain SX‐4, to enhance the nonspecific immunity and survival of carp (Cyprinus carpio), and to identify the constituents that are responsible. Methods and Results:  A thermophilic strain SX‐4 that is able to produce immunostimulatory metabolite was isolated from sludge sample of hot spring and identified by comparison with 16S rRNA sequences (99% of homology) as Anoxybacillus flavithermus. Bioactivity‐guided fractionation of methanol extract from its cell‐free culture, one bacterial peptide with the capacity of improving the nonspecific immune responses and disease resistance (relative per cent survival = 66·67%) was obtained and the compound was characterized as cyclo‐(L‐Pro‐Gly) by IR, ESI‐MS, 1H NMR and 13C NMR spectroscopic analyses. After intraperitoneal administration of this peptide, selected innate immune parameters including phagocytic activity, superoxide anion production, serum lysozyme activity and serum SOD activity, along with immune‐related genes expression (i.e. interleukin‐1β and inducible nitric oxide synthase), in the blood were found to be significantly increased. Conclusions:  The bacterial peptide cyclo‐(L‐Pro‐Gly) significantly enhances nonspecific immunity and survival of carp. Significance and Impact of the Study:  There is a possibility of using cyclo‐(L‐Pro‐Gly) as a better natural immunostimulant, which could have a promising role in aquaculture to prevent diseases and disease outbreaks.