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Marine Fungal Metabolites: A Promising Source for Antibiofilm Compounds

Summary

Bacteria can form protective layers called biofilms that resist antibiotics, causing serious infections. Scientists are discovering that fungi living in seaweed and marine environments produce natural compounds that can break down these biofilm barriers. This review shows that marine fungi offer promising new alternatives to combat antibiotic-resistant infections, though more research is needed to fully explore their potential.

Background

Antibiotic resistance is a critical global health threat, with 40-80% of bacterial biofilms causing antibiotic resistance. Biofilm-forming bacteria are 1000 times more resistant to antibiotics than planktonic cells. Marine fungi represent an underexplored source of novel bioactive compounds with antibiofilm potential.

Objective

This review summarizes biologically active compounds isolated from marine-derived fungi and fungal extracts tested against bacterial biofilms from 2015-2024. The study aims to highlight the potential of marine fungal metabolites as antibiofilm agents and identify the knowledge gap regarding antibiofilm compounds from algal endophytic fungi.

Results

The review identified 40 bioactive compounds from marine fungi with antibiofilm activity, including terpenoids, steroids, alkaloids, peptides, phenolics, and polyketides. Polyketides were the most common type. Notably, only one study was identified examining seaweed endophytic fungi antibiofilm compounds, revealing a significant research gap.

Conclusion

Marine fungal metabolites show promise as alternative antibiofilm agents to combat antibiotic resistance. There is urgent need to intensify research on seaweed endophytic fungi and employ strategies such as media optimization, chemical elicitors, co-culture, and metabolomics approaches to enhance antibiofilm metabolite production and discovery.
  • Published in:Molecules,
  • Study Type:Review,
  • Source: PMID: 41226226, DOI: 10.3390/molecules30214266
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