Schiff base metal complexes as emerging therapeutics against antimicrobial-resistant skin pathogens

The development of antimicrobial resistance reduces the efficacy of antimicrobial agents and poses a significant challenge to treat skin diseases. Many scientists, researchers, and pharmaceutical companies work diligently to investigate novel antimicrobial agents and discover alternatives to existing ones, aiming to address antimicrobial resistance. Within the broad field of metal complexes, Schiff base complexes occupy a prominent position, with structural versatility and significant biological properties that make them promising candidates for developing alternative drugs to combat the global crisis of antimicrobial resistance.

This paper reviewed the existing literature on how the structural features of some recently studied Schiff base ligands and their complexes influence the antibacterial and antifungal activities of these compounds against common skin pathogens, including Candida albicans sp., dermophytes, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes.

The structural features, including the azomethine group (C=N), heteroatoms and substituents, in Schiff base compounds have been associated with interference with protein synthesis and the growth of bacterial and fungal cells. Schiff base compounds affect cell wall and cell membrane synthesis and inhibit enzymes essential to cell division and other cellular mechanisms. The chelation theory and the overtone's concept suggest that Schiff base metal complexes exhibit higher antibacterial and antifungal activities compared to Schiff base ligands.

This review focuses on providing an overview of how the structural features of Schiff base compounds influence the antimicrobial properties of these compounds against Candida albicans sp., dermophytes, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes.