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Antibacterial Compounds from Mushrooms: A Lead to Fight ESKAPEE Pathogenic Bacteria?
Violette Hamers1, Clément Huguet1, Mélanie Bourjot1
1Faculté de pharmacie, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, CAMBAP, Strasbourg, France.
Abstract:
Infectious diseases are among the greatest threats to global health in the 21st century, and one critical concern is due to antibiotic resistance developed by an increasing number of bacterial strains. New resistance mechanisms are emerging with many infections becoming more and more difficult if not impossible to treat. This growing phenomenon not only is associated with increased mortality but also with longer hospital stays and higher medical costs. For these reasons, there is an urgent need to find new antibiotics targeting pathogenic microorganisms such as ESKAPEE bacteria. Most of currently approved antibiotics are derived from microorganisms, but higher fungi could constitute an alternative and remarkable reservoir of anti-infectious compounds. For instance, pleuromutilins constitute the first class of antibiotics derived from mushrooms. However, macromycetes still represent a largely unexplored source. Publications reporting the antibacterial potential of mushroom extracts are emerging, but few purified compounds have been evaluated for their bioactivity on pathogenic bacterial strains. Therefore, the aim of this review is to compile up-to-date data about natural products isolated from fruiting body fungi, which significantly inhibit the growth of ESKAPEE pathogenic bacteria. When available, data regarding modes of action and cytotoxicity, mandatory when considering a possible drug development, have been discussed in order to highlight the most promising compounds.
Insights
Fungi are a promising source for new antibiotics to combat drug-resistant bacteria, including ESKAPEE pathogens. This review highlights natural products from mushrooms with significant antibacterial activity, crucial for developing novel antimicrobial therapies.
Area of Science:
- Mycology
- Pharmacology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Antibiotic resistance in bacteria poses a severe global health threat, leading to increased mortality and healthcare costs.
- Emerging resistance mechanisms make infections increasingly difficult to treat, necessitating new therapeutic agents.
- ESKAPEE bacteria are a critical group of pathogens often associated with difficult-to-treat infections.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and compile current data on natural products derived from fungal fruiting bodies.
- To identify compounds with significant inhibitory activity against ESKAPEE pathogenic bacteria.
- To discuss modes of action and cytotoxicity of promising antifungal compounds for potential drug development.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of scientific publications on fungal natural products and their antibacterial properties.
- Focus on compounds isolated from mushroom fruiting bodies.
- Inclusion of data on bioactivity, mode of action, and cytotoxicity where available.
Main Results:
- Fungi, particularly mushrooms, represent a largely untapped reservoir of potential antimicrobial compounds.
- Several natural products from fungi have demonstrated significant antibacterial activity against pathogenic strains.
- Data on the mode of action and cytotoxicity are crucial for evaluating the therapeutic potential of these compounds.
Conclusions:
- Higher fungi are a valuable source for discovering novel antibiotics to address the challenge of antimicrobial resistance.
- Further research into fungal natural products, including their mechanisms and safety profiles, is warranted for drug discovery.
- Compounds isolated from mushrooms show promise in combating challenging bacterial infections like those caused by ESKAPEE pathogens.
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