Quality control of a medicinal larval (Lucilia sericata) debridement device based on released gelatinase activity

Pickles, S.F.; Pritchard, David I.

Abstract

Lucilia sericata Meigen (Diptera: Calliphoridae) larvae are manufactured worldwide for the treatment of chronic wounds. Published research has confirmed that the primary clinical effect of the product, debridement (the degradation of non-viable wound tissue), is accomplished by a range of enzymes released by the larvae during feeding. The quality assessment of larval activity is currently achieved during production using meat-based assays, which monitor insect growth and/or the reduction in substrate mass. To support this, we have developed a complementary radial-diffusion enzymatic assay (RDEA) to produce a visual and measureable indication of the activity of larval alimentary products (LAP) collected under standardised conditions, against a gelatin substrate. Using basic laboratory equipment and reagents, the assay is rapid and suited to high-throughput. Assay reproducibility is high (SD 0.06 - 0.27, CV 0.75 - 4.31%) and the LAP collection procedure does not adversely affect larval survival (mortality < 2%). As a cost- and time-effective method, it is suited to academic or industrial use, supporting good manufacturing (or laboratory) practice (GMP and GLP) as a quality control (QC) assay.

Citation

Pickles, S., & Pritchard, D. I. (2017). Quality control of a medicinal larval (Lucilia sericata) debridement device based on released gelatinase activity. Medical and Veterinary Entomology, 31(2), https://doi.org/10.1111/mve.12220

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 13, 2016
• Online Publication Date: Jan 24, 2017
• Publication Date: Apr 25, 2017
• Deposit Date: Oct 18, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 18, 2017
• Journal: Medical and Veterinary Entomology
• Print ISSN: 0269-283X
• Electronic ISSN: 1365-2915
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Not Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 31
• Issue: 2
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/mve.12220
• Keywords: Lucilia sericata; Debridement; Gelatinase; Medical device; Quality control; Wound management
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/857553
• Publisher URL: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mve.12220/abstract
• Additional Information: This is the pre-peer reviewed version of the following article: PICKLES, S. F. and PRITCHARD, D. I. (2017), Quality control of a medicinal larval (Lucilia sericata) debridement device based on released gelatinase activity. Med Vet Entomol, 31: 200–206. doi:10.1111/mve.12220, which has been published in final form at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mve.12220/abstract This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.