Antimicrobial Peptide Sublancin Skin Sensitization and Irritation Assessment in Guinea Pigs and Rabbits

This study evaluated the skin sensitization of the antimicrobial peptide sublancin to support its safety assessment for topical application. Sensitization was assessed using the guinea pig maximization test (GPMT), in which animals received sublancin (2 mg/kg), vehicle (negative control), or 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (positive control) during induction and challenge phases. Skin reactions (erythema and edema) were recorded after challenge. Irritation was evaluated in rabbits following single and repeated applications of sublancin to intact and abraded skin, with observations made at multiple time points. In the GPMT, no erythema or edema was observed in the sublancin-treated group or negative control group at 24, 48, and 72 h post-challenge, corresponding to a sensitization rate of 0%. All animals in the positive control group exhibited moderate to severe erythema and edema (sensitization rate 100%). In both single- and repeated-dose rabbit irritation tests, sublancin induced no erythema or edema on intact or abraded skin at any observation point, resulting in a total irritation score of 0. Furthermore, no significant differences in the daily weight gain were observed between any experimental group and the negative group (p > 0.05). In conclusion, under the conditions of this study, sublancin showed no skin sensitization potential in guinea pigs and no irritant effects in rabbits, supporting its local tolerance for topical veterinary use.