Toxic peptides from hornet venom, mastoparan and mastoparan-B were synthesized using the solid phase peptide synthesis method and investigated the interaction of them with phospholipid bilayer, antibacterial activity, and hemolytic activity. Both toxic peptides could induce dye release at a low concentration in neutral liposome. The binding affinity of mastoparan-B for neutral liposome was smaller than that for acidic one. Mastoparan and mastoparan-B had strong antibacterial activity for gram-positive bacteria, but weak or potent activity for gram-negative ones, respectively. Mastoparan and mastoparan-B lysed erythrocyte very little up to 5 μM.

• Kwang-Ho Kim(Dept. of Food Nutrition, Changwon Junior College)
• Bong-Hun Lee(Dept. of Chemistry, Pusan National Univ.)