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Abstract
Over the last decade, the rapid emergence of multidrug-resistant pathogens has become a global concern, which has prompted the search for alternative antibacterial agents for use in food animals. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), produced by bacteria, insects, amphibians and mammals, as well as by chemical synthesis, are possible candidates for the design of new antimicrobial agents because of their natural antimicrobial properties and a low propensity for development of resistance by microorganisms. This manuscript reviews the current knowledge of the basic biology of AMPs and their applications in non-ruminant nutrition. Antimicrobial peptides not only have broad-spectrum activity against bacteria, fungi, and viruses but also have the ability to bypass the common resistance mechanisms that are placing standard antibiotics in jeopardy. In addition, AMPs have beneficial effects on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, intestinal morphology and gut microbiota in pigs and broilers. Therefore, AMPs have good potential as suitable alternatives to conventional antibiotics used in swine and poultry industries.
Highlights
Antibiotics are widely used for disease prevention and growth promotion in conventional livestock and poultry production [1]
We found that the antimicrobial peptide sublancin has powerful inhibitory efficacy against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (Unpublished data)
The only cathelicidin peptide identified in humans is LL-37 and it has been shown to have considerable activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhimurium, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus [28]
Summary
Antibiotics are widely used for disease prevention and growth promotion in conventional livestock and poultry production [1]. The number of approvals of new antibiotics has significantly and steadily decreased in the past three decades [4]. For this reason, there is an urgent need to develop novel antimicrobial agents, including alterative drugs based on antimicrobial peptides [5]. Antimicrobial peptides are attractive candidates for the design of new antimicrobial agents for specific application because of their natural antimicrobial properties and a low propensity for the development of bacterial resistance [7]. We discuss the potential of AMPs as alternatives to conventional antibiotics, including their broad-spectrum of activity, low level of induced resistance, and immunomodulatory properties. The potential applications of AMPs in swine and broiler production are reviewed
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