Antimicrobial Peptides: An Overview of their Structure, Function and Mechanism of Action

In recent years, the antibiotic resistance of pathogenic bacteria has become an increasing public health threat. Finding alternatives to antibiotics may be an effective solution to the problem of drug resistance. Antimicrobial peptides are small peptides produced by various organisms that are considered to be effective antibiotic substitutes because of their strong, broad-spectrum antibacterial activity, stability, and diversity, and because target strains do not easily develop resistance. Recent research on antimicrobial peptides has shown they have broad potential for applications in medicine, agriculture, food, and animal feed. The source, classification, acquisition methods, and mechanisms of action of antimicrobial peptides are very complex. This review presents an overview of research on the sources, isolation, expression and purification, and classification of antimicrobial peptides; the relationship between their structural conformation and function; their mechanisms of action; and application prospects.