Natural Antimicrobial Agents from Algae: Current Advances and Future Directions

Infectious diseases have significantly shaped human history, leading to significant advancements in medical science. The discovery and development of antibiotics represented a critical breakthrough, but the rise of antibiotic-resistant pathogens now presents a serious global health threat. Due to th...

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Autores:
ZUORRO, Antonio
LAVECCHIA, Roberto
Contreras Ropero, Jefferson Eduardo
García-Martinez, Janet
Barajas Ferreira, Crisóstomo
Barajas Solano, andres F
Contreras Ropero, Jefferson Eduardo
Tipo de recurso:
Article of journal
Fecha de publicación:
2024
Institución:
Universidad Francisco de Paula Santander
Repositorio:
Repositorio Digital UFPS
Idioma:
eng
OAI Identifier:
oai:repositorio.ufps.edu.co:ufps/9144
Acceso en línea:
https://repositorio.ufps.edu.co/handle/ufps/9144
Palabra clave:
algae
cyanobacteria
Antimicrobial
Bioactive compounds
Biosynthesis
Rights
openAccess
License
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Description
Summary:Infectious diseases have significantly shaped human history, leading to significant advancements in medical science. The discovery and development of antibiotics represented a critical breakthrough, but the rise of antibiotic-resistant pathogens now presents a serious global health threat. Due to the limitations of current synthetic antimicrobials, such as toxicity and environmental concerns, it is essential to explore alternative solutions. Algae, particularly microalgae and cyanobacteria, have emerged as promising sources of bioactive antimicrobial compounds. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the antimicrobial properties of algal-derived compounds, including polysaccharides, fatty acids, and phenols, which have shown effectiveness against multi-drug-resistant bacteria. A co-occurrence bibliometric analysis using VOSviewer highlighted five key research clusters: antibiotic resistance, algal extracts, biosynthesis, water treatment, and novel pharmacological compounds. Furthermore, the primary mechanisms of action of these bioactive compounds, such as the inhibition of protein synthesis and cell membrane disruption, were identified, demonstrating their potential against both common and multi-resistant pathogens. Future research should prioritize optimizing algal biomass production, utilizing genetic and metabolic engineering, and creating innovative delivery systems to enhance the efficient production of bioactive compounds.