Plant-Based Peptides: Antibiotics

Plants have evolved extensive defense systems to protect against infections and infestations. Antimicrobial peptides are among the well-known chemical barriers possessed by plants to defend themselves against biotic stresses. Antimicrobial peptides have been shown to be one of the most effective biological defences against micropathogens. They have a lot of chemical and structural varieties to help them with their functions. They are also reported to play a role in antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic peptides can be classified based on their chemical structure, their charge, and their size. The most researched antimicrobial peptides are cyclotides, thionins, hevein-like proteins, defensins, snakins, and lipid transfer proteins. Due to their effectiveness in nature, antimicrobial peptides have gained importance in research for their applications in pharmaceutical sectors. It has been found that they have immunological regulatory activities in addition to their direct antibacterial action. It is also reported that antimicrobial peptides can change human immunogenicity to several diseases by altering physiological signals. They can also control the production of signalling molecules, including mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling, nitric oxide (NO), reactive oxygen species (ROS), and lesion and vasculature healing.