Bacterial Antimicrobial Peptides: A Potential Alternative to Antibiotics

Numerous infectious diseases have become more difficult to cure because of the global spread of antibiotic-resistant microbes. This perilous position is exacerbated by the fact that relatively little progress has been achieved in recent years in finding new and effective antibiotics. However, a class of antibiotics known as bacteriocins (produced by bacteria) has received a lot of attention recently due to their significant potential to manage bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics. They exhibit broad-spectrum activity against bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites, and cancer cells, targeting both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Additionally, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have wide-spectrum efficacy against multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria and are capable of dissolving bacterial biofilms. Although the cell membrane serves as a primary target for AMPs, it can damage the cell wall of bacteria, obstruct the folding of protein, and suppress enzyme activity. One of the main benefits of employing AMP is that it has a high degree of specificity, and healthy tissues are not affected by AMPs. This comprehensive analysis covers the origin, structure, properties, modes of action, and various applications of AMPs.