Postbiotic as Novel Alternative Agent or Adjuvant for the Common Antibiotic Utilized in the Food Industry

Antibiotic resistance is a serious public health problem as it causes previously manageable diseases to become deadly infections that can cause serious disability or even death. Scientists are creating novel approaches and procedures that are essential for the treatment of infections and limiting the improper use of antibiotics in an effort to counter this rising risk.

With a focus on the numerous postbiotic metabolites formed from the beneficial gut microorganisms, their potential antimicrobial actions, and recent associated advancements in the food and medical areas, this review presents an overview of the emerging ways to prevent antibiotic resistance.

Presently, scientific literature confirms that plant-derived antimicrobials, RNA therapy, fecal microbiota transplantation, vaccines, nanoantibiotics, haemofiltration, predatory bacteria, immunotherapeutics, quorum-sensing inhibitors, phage therapies, and probiotics can be considered natural and efficient antibiotic alternative candidates. The investigations on appropriate probiotic strains have led to the characterization of specific metabolic byproducts of probiotics named postbiotics. Based on preclinical and clinical studies, postbiotics with their unique characteristics in terms of clinical (safe origin, without the potential spread of antibiotic resistance genes, unique and multiple antimicrobial action mechanisms), technological (stability and feasibility of largescale production), and economic (low production costs) aspects can be used as a novel alternative agent or adjuvant for the common antibiotics utilized in the production of animal-based foods.

Postbiotic constituents may be a new approach for utilization in the pharmaceutical and food sectors for developing therapeutic treatments. Further metabolomics investigations are required to describe novel postbiotics and clinical trials are also required to define the sufficient dose and optimum administration frequency of postbiotics.