Metabolites from Marine-Derived Fungi as Potential Antimicrobial Adjuvants

Area of Science:

• Marine microbiology
• Natural product chemistry
• Antimicrobial resistance

Background:

• Marine-derived fungi are a rich source of bioactive compounds with antibacterial properties.
• Antimicrobial resistance, particularly via efflux pump overexpression, is a growing global health concern.
• There is a critical need for novel antimicrobials and agents that can restore the efficacy of existing drugs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate marine natural products from *Neosartorya* and *Aspergillus* fungi as inhibitors of bacterial efflux pumps.
• To investigate their potential in inhibiting biofilm formation and quorum-sensing.
• To assess their cytotoxicity and predict their efflux pump action through docking studies.

Main Methods:

• Isolation and evaluation of nineteen marine natural products.
• Testing for antibacterial activity, efflux pump inhibition, biofilm inhibition, and quorum-sensing inhibition.
• Computational docking studies to predict efflux pump interactions.
• Cytotoxicity assessment using the NIH/3T3 mouse fibroblast cell line.

Main Results:

• Several marine natural products demonstrated potential as bacterial efflux pump inhibitors.
• Some compounds showed activity against biofilm formation and quorum-sensing pathways.
• Docking studies provided insights into potential efflux pump inhibition mechanisms.
• Compounds exhibited varying levels of cytotoxicity in the tested cell line.

Conclusions:

• Marine-derived fungal metabolites represent a promising resource for discovering compounds that can reverse antimicrobial resistance.
• These natural products can serve as a basis for the design and synthesis of novel antimicrobial agents.
• Further research into these compounds could lead to new strategies for combating drug-resistant bacteria.