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Natural Compounds of Fungal Origin with Antimicrobial Activity—Potential Cosmetics Applications

Summary

Fungi naturally produce many compounds that kill harmful bacteria, fungi, and viruses. This review explores how these fungal compounds could replace antibiotics that no longer work due to drug resistance. These natural substances could be used not only as medicines but also in cosmetic products to prevent bacterial growth and improve skin health.

Background

Drug resistance in microorganisms is a growing challenge necessitating the search for new antimicrobial compounds. Fungi produce a wide range of secondary metabolites with bacteriostatic, fungistatic, and antiviral activity that could serve as alternatives to commonly used antibiotics. This review examines fungal compounds with potential cosmetic and therapeutic applications.

Objective

To provide a comprehensive overview of antimicrobial compounds derived from filamentous fungi and macrofungi, including both isolated compounds and extracts. The review focuses on antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral activities of fungal metabolites from fruiting bodies, mycelium, and mycelial cultures, with emphasis on cosmetic applications.

Results

The review identifies numerous fungal compounds with antimicrobial activity including penicillins, cephalosporins, fusidans, isoprenoids (sesquiterpenes, diterpenes, triterpenes), peptides (plectasin, zervamicins, enniatins), and polyacetylenes. Multiple fungal species extracts (Ganoderma lucidum, Trametes versicolor, Lentinula edodes, etc.) demonstrated antibacterial and antifungal activity against pathogenic bacteria and fungi.

Conclusion

Fungi represent a promising source of antimicrobial compounds for combating drug-resistant microorganisms. These natural compounds have significant potential for therapeutic applications and cosmetic formulations, particularly when used in combination therapies. Further research using metabolomics and advanced technologies could identify additional bioactive compounds for clinical and cosmetic use.
  • Published in:Pharmaceuticals (Basel),
  • Study Type:Review,
  • Source: 10.3390/ph16091200, PMID: 37765008
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