Diverse chemotypes of polyketides as promising antimicrobial agents: latest progress

Area of Science:

• Microbiology and Drug Discovery
• Natural Product Chemistry

Background:

• Microbial infections pose significant global health threats, leading to mortality and morbidity.
• Antimicrobial resistance is a growing crisis, necessitating novel therapeutic strategies.
• Nature, particularly polyketides, offers a rich source of diverse chemical structures for drug discovery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recently identified natural polyketides with antimicrobial potential.
• To highlight the importance of natural products in combating antimicrobial resistance.
• To explore the role of polyketide natural products in drug discovery.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of scientific databases for natural polyketides with antimicrobial activity.
• Analysis of chemical diversity and structural complexity of identified polyketides.
• Summary of existing polyketide-based antimicrobial drugs and their mechanisms.

Main Results:

• Numerous natural polyketides with demonstrated antimicrobial activities have been identified.
• Polyketides exhibit diverse chemotypes, crucial for developing drugs against resistant pathogens.
• Several polyketide-derived drugs are already approved for treating bacterial, fungal, and parasitic infections.

Conclusions:

• Natural polyketides represent a promising avenue for developing new antimicrobial agents.
• Harnessing nature's chemical diversity is essential to overcome the challenge of antimicrobial resistance.
• Further research into natural polyketides can lead to novel treatments for infectious diseases.