| abstract |
Peptide-based compounds containing four invariant cysteine residues which have been optionally oxidized to contain two intramolecular disulfide bonds, or modified forms where the cysteines are replaced are useful as preservatives and in preventing, treating, or ameliorating viral or microbial infection in animals and plants, and in inactivating endotoxin. These compounds, in one embodiment, are of the formula:A1-A2-A3-A4-A5-C-A7-C-A9-A10-A11-A12-C-A14-C-A16-(A17-A18)(1)and the N-terminal acylated and/or C-terminal amidated or esterified forms thereof, either in optionally -SH stabilized linear or in cystine-bridged form wherein A1 and A9 are basic amino acids; A2, A3 and A10 are small amino acids; A5, A7, A12, A14 and A16 are hydrophobic amino acids; and A4 is a basic or a small amino acid; A11 is a hydrophobic amino acid; A17 is not present or, if present, is a small amino acid; A18 is not present or, if present, is a basic amino acid, and modified form of formula (1) wherein each of 1-4 cysteines is independently replaced by a hydrophobic amino acid or a small amino acid. |