The multiverse of action: how mechanisms of synthetic antifungal peptides could be employed in the food industry

Abstract

Fungal contamination is among the leading causes of food spoilage promoting serious risks to human health and economic losses. In 2021, 135 billion pounds of food, estimated at $169 billion, were wasted due to food spoilage caused by fungi. So, the need for alternative methods against fungal resistance, including resistance to preservatives, becomes increasingly relevant. This review addresses the aspects involved in antimicrobial mechanisms of action and resistance while exposing recent advances in using synthetic peptides as agents to address foodborne fungal resistance. Here, is discussed how the properties of synthetic peptides may have sparked the food industry's interest in food preservation and display an overview of how these advances have contributed to the control of fruit-infecting fungi. Overall, this review aims to provide an overview of synthetic antimicrobial peptides, their potential applications in food safety, and their feasibility and main challenges.