Antimicrobial peptides: a novel and natural approach as antibiofouling mediator

Abstract

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are natural ribosomal synthesized small peptides and are crucial effectors in all living organisms. AMPs are diverse polypeptides with varying amino acid composition and structure that often exhibit broad-spectrum and fast-acting antibacterial properties. As a result, AMPs offer a great deal of promise for restorative application in medicine, agriculture, and the environment. The maritime, industrial, and healthcare sectors all suffer major losses as a result of biofouling. This article will review antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), their structure and major class of AMPs that are reported as anti-biofouling agents, evolutionary concept of AMP, mechanism of action of AMPs against biofilm formation, intracellular active AMPs, synthetic AMPs, promising AMP modifications reported and AMP databases to understand AMPs specificity and activity for rational designing.

Therefore, this review will provide a comprehensive assessment of AMPs numerous functions as well as to detect their therapeutic potential and avoid industry losses incurred by biofilms.