Antimicrobial, Antibiofilm and Anticancer Potentials of Glycine and Glycyl-Glycine; an in vitro study

Abstract

Globally, there is a huge demand for novel agents capable of providing protection against both pathogen microorganisms and tumor cells. In this study, the antimicrobial, biofilm inhibitory, and anticancer effects of glycine and glycyl-glycine were investigated. The antimicrobial effects were determined using the broth dilution method, while the biofilm inhibitory effects were assessed through the crystal violet binding assay. Cytotoxic effects on HeLa cell viability were measured using the MTT assay. Our results indicate that, although 100 mg/mL of glycine only inhibited S. epidermidis W17 among the three tested isolates, 400 mg/mL of glycyl-glycine inhibited both S. epidermidis W17 and P. mirabilis U15 strains. Additionally, sub-MICs (concentrations below the Minimum Inhibition Concentration) of glycine inhibited biofilm formation by more than 70% in all tested clinical isolates and exhibited significantly more biofilm inhibition against P. mirabilis U15 and S. epidermidis W17 strains (p<0.05). A549 and HeLa cell types exhibited a significant reduction in cell viability at concentrations of 0.3 mM and 1 mM compared to the control after treatment with glycine and glycyl-glycine (p<0.001). The results obtained in this study will enhance the development of new strategies using amino acids and dipeptide-based synthesizable molecules, contributing to advancements in drug development research.

Keywords

• Anticancer activity and cytotoxicity
• Antimicrobial activity and biofilm inhibition
• Glycine
• Glycyl-glycine

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