Abstract
Oceans cover seventy percent of the planet’s surface and besides being an immense reservoir of biological life, they serve as vital sources for human sustenance, tourism, transport and commerce. Yet, it is estimated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that eighty percent of the oceans remain unexplored. The untapped biological resources present in oceans may be fundamental in solving several of the world’s public health crises of the 21st century, which span from the rise of antibiotic resistance in bacteria, pathogenic fungi and parasites, to the rise of cancer incidence and viral infection outbreaks. In this review, health risks as well as how marine bacterial derived natural products may be tools to fight them will be discussed. Moreover, an overview will be made of the research pipeline of novel molecules, from identification of bioactive bacterial crude extracts to the isolation and chemical characterization of the molecules within the framework of the One Health approach. This review highlights information that has been published since 2014, showing the current relevance of marine bacteria for the discovery of novel natural products.
Highlights
The Health and Economic Burden of Antibiotic ResistanceWith the increase of global travel and the incorrect and excessive use of antibiotics, namely for animal production, a drastic rise in antibiotic resistance is being observed in bacterial populations throughout the world [1]
Oceans cover seventy percent of the planet’s surface and besides being an immense reservoir of biological life, they serve as vital sources for human sustenance, tourism, transport and commerce
After pointing out the fundamental health risks faced by humankind, this review explores the contribution of marine bacterial derived natural products in the fight against cancer, antimicrobial resistance and viruses, with an update highlighting information from the literature published since 2014
Summary
With the increase of global travel and the incorrect and excessive use of antibiotics, namely for animal production, a drastic rise in antibiotic resistance is being observed in bacterial populations throughout the world [1]. Infections with resistant organisms entail higher morbidity and mortality, but are more expensive to treat and result in longer hospital stays, which places a greater burden on healthcare systems [2] These facts make the rise in antibiotic resistance one of the greatest health challenges of the century. Patients with third-generation cephalosporin-resistant Escherichia coli infections have experienced a two-fold increase in mortality attributable to bacterial infections and a significant mortality increase is observed in patients with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections. Facts like these point to the imperative need for the discovery of novel antibiotics to fight these super bacteria. In Southeast Asia, the infectious agents of malaria already show signs of resistance to artemisinin [16], which was discovered in 1975 and is currently the main treatment for malaria [17]
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