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.
β-glucans are special sugar molecules found in foods like mushrooms, oats, and barley that can help control type 2 diabetes. These molecules work by two main methods: slowing down how quickly nutrients are absorbed in the digestive system, and blocking enzymes that break down carbohydrates into sugars. The shape and size of β-glucan molecules are very important—different structures have different effects on blood sugar control.
This review explains how scientists use computer simulations to understand how natural food compounds (called nutraceuticals) interact with disease-causing molecules in the body. By using molecular docking software, researchers can predict which compounds might fight diseases like cancer and heart disease before conducting expensive laboratory tests. The review shows that many common foods like turmeric, grapes, and green tea contain compounds that could potentially treat various diseases by targeting specific proteins and pathways involved in disease development.
The turpentine tree (Pistacia terebinthus L.) is a Mediterranean plant traditionally used in food and medicine that is now being studied for modern food applications. Its fruits, seeds, leaves, and resin contain powerful compounds that fight bacteria, reduce oxidative stress, and promote health. Scientists are developing new techniques like microencapsulation and fermentation to preserve its beneficial properties in functional foods, yogurt, and other products. This underutilized plant could become an important natural ingredient for food preservation and health supplements.
Researchers studied bacteria called Streptomyces that were isolated from high mountains in Nepal to see if they could produce useful compounds. They grew these bacteria in four different types of growth media and tested the resulting extracts for antioxidant properties and ability to block harmful enzymes. They found that the choice of growth medium significantly affected what compounds the bacteria produced, with one medium (R2YE) being especially effective at producing compounds that could help treat diseases like Alzheimer’s and diabetes.
Certain dangerous fungal infections like aspergillosis are difficult to treat because current antifungal drugs have significant side effects or the fungi are developing resistance. Scientists have discovered that a specific enzyme called Δ9-fatty acid desaturase, which fungi need to make fats for their cell membranes, has a unique structure different from human cells. This structural difference offers a new opportunity to design antifungal drugs that could kill fungi without harming human cells, potentially providing safer and more effective treatments for serious fungal infections.
Polyamines are natural compounds that act like chemical switches controlling how fungi produce useful medicines like antibiotics and statins. These molecules work by attaching to DNA and modifying histone proteins, which turns on or off the genes responsible for making pharmaceutical compounds. This research reveals that understanding polyamine control could help scientists increase antibiotic production and make plants more resistant to fungal diseases.