Antibacterial properties of larval secretions of the blowfly, Lucilia sericata
Abstract.  The antibacterial properties of secretions aseptically collected from larvae of the greenbottle fly Lucilia sericata (Meigen) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) were examined. These investigations revealed the presence of small (<1 kDa) antibacterial factor(s) within the larval secretions, active against a range of bacteria. These include the Gram‐positive Staphylococcus aureus, both methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and methicillin‐sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA), Streptococcus pyogenes and to a lesser extent the Gram‐negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa. These secretions were shown to be highly stable as a freeze‐dried preparation and, considering the activity against organisms typically associated with clinical infection, may be a source of novel antibiotic‐like compounds that may be used for infection control and in the fight against MRSA.