Abstract
Barnacles are the dominant organisms in the biofouling communities throughout the world seas and attain considerable ecological and economic significance. In the present study, cement produced by the cypris larva of the barnacle Amphibalanus amphitrite was analyzed to understand the biochemical composition of the adhesive material. Protein content showed higher values (408.13 μg mg−1) than lipids and carbohydrates. The thin-layer chromatography analysis showed a single distinct spot indicating a carbohydrate group in the cement. SDS-PAGE analysis of the adhesives revealed protein bands between the molecular weight range of 20.1–43 kDa and also 66 kDa. The cement was also analyzed using FT-IR and indicated the presence of peak related to non-amyloid beta sheets. In conclusion, the cement isolated from the barnacle larvae contains protein as major components with the possibility of the presence of non-amyloid globular proteins.