BIOPROSPECTING HONEY-DERIVED BACILLUS SPP. FROM BURKINA FASO AS A POTENTIAL SOURCE FOR ANTIMICROBIAL PEPTIDES

Backgrounds and objectives: Honey is increasingly recognized as a promising reservoir of beneficial microorganisms with activity against plant pathogens. However it is poorly documented that in the literature. This study contributes to explore the diversity of AMPs genes produced by Bacillus spp. isolated from honey in Burkina Faso in order to propose a biological solution against biodiversity loss, water soil pollution and pest resistance caused by chemicals pesticides. Methods: Methodology was based on isolation and preliminarily characterization of 40 presumptive Bacillus spp. followed by their survival under thermal stress, salt tolerance and AMPs related genes identification. Results: Data from PCR analysis revealed that all isolates belonged to the genus Bacillus. In total, 70% of strains carried at least one AMP gene, in which 50% carried one gene. Regarding AMPs-gene associations, 25% carried two genes, 14.3% carried three genes, 7.1% carried four genes, and 3.6% carried five of the six targeted AMP-genes. Conclusions: These data indicate that honey produced in Burkina Faso could be used to isolate Bacillus strains with genetic potential for broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. This efficacy could be tested in future studies to confirm these findings.                     Peer Review History: Received 6 April 2026;   Reviewed 12 May 2026; Accepted  9 June; Available online 15 July 2026 Academic Editor: Dr. Marwa A. A. Fayed, University of Sadat City, Egypt, maafayed@gmail.com Reviewers: Dr. Fatehalrahman F. Magbool, University of Khartoum, Sudan, fmagbool@yahoo.com Dr. George Zhu, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, sansan4240732@163.com