Abstract
Despite highly specialized international interventions and policies in place today, the rapid emergence and dissemination of resistant bacterial species continue to occur globally, threatening the longevity of antibiotics in the medical sector. In particular, problematic nosocomial infections caused by multidrug resistant Gram-negative pathogens present as a major burden to both patients and healthcare systems, with annual mortality rates incrementally rising. Bacteriocins, peptidic toxins produced by bacteria, offer promising potential as substitutes or conjugates to current therapeutic compounds. These non-toxic peptides exhibit significant potency against certain bacteria (including multidrug-resistant species), while producer strains remain insusceptible to the bactericidal peptides. The selectivity and safety profile of bacteriocins have been highlighted as superior advantages over traditional antibiotics; however, many aspects regarding their efficacy are still unknown. Although active at low concentrations, bacteriocins typically have low in vivo stability, being susceptible to degradation by proteolytic enzymes. Another major drawback lies in the feasibility of large-scale production, with these key features collectively limiting their current clinical application. Though such limitations require extensive research, the concept of expanding bacteriocins from food preservation to human health opens many fascinating doors, including novel drug delivery systems and anticancer treatment applications.
Highlights
Antimicrobial drugs are undoubtedly one of the most important and useful therapeutic discovery’s in the history of medicine
This review aims to discuss the potential of these peptide toxins to act as antimicrobial therapeutics including sources, classification, and mode of action
To antibiotic resistance, bacteriocin resistance from gene mutations or horizontal gene transfer (HGT) via transformation, conjugation, or transduction has an effect by altering the cell wall, cell membrane, receptors, and essential systems
Summary
Antimicrobial drugs are undoubtedly one of the most important and useful therapeutic discovery’s in the history of medicine. The discovery of the first antimicrobial agents Salvarsan, Prontosil and Penicillin was key in initiating the paradigms for future antimicrobial research It was in the 1940s that the highly effective chloramphenicol was discovered and proved one of the most important antibiotics due to its potent bacteriostatic nature. Antibiotics 2020, 9, 32 aureus (MRSA), Streptococcus pneumoniae, and mycobacteria [1] During this period, antibiotic resistance was emerging in bacterial species of medical importance. As antibiotic agents are naturally produced by microbial species to gain an advantage in their ecological niche, antibiotic resistance so too has emerged from this microscopic war amongst the varied and diverse species of the microbial world. This review aims to discuss the potential of these peptide toxins to act as antimicrobial therapeutics including sources, classification, and mode of action
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