Psychotropic Drugs: A Promising Non-Antibiotic Agent to Combat Multi-Drug-Resistant Microorganisms

Multi-drug insensitivity (MDI) to various antibiotics and the rapid dissemination of antibiotic resistance markers among the microorganisms, particularly bacteria, has become a global concern. Annually, MDI microorganisms cause 7 × 10⁶ deaths worldwide, which are expected to increase in an exponential manner in the future. The development of novel drugs for MDI microorganisms is very demanding, often taking approximately 17 years to complete. Drug repurposing refers to the discovery of drugs for MDI microorganisms from drugs that are already approved for the treatment of other diseases. Drug repurposing has emerged as an alternative approach to tackling MDI microorganisms because it decreases the duration and cost of the drug. Among various non-antibiotic compounds, psychotropic drugs have been found to be effective against drug-resistant Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens, fungi, parasites, and viruses. Innumerable reports have been published about the antimicrobial potential of psychotropic drugs against HAIs caused by various pathogens through various mechanisms, and they are helpful in lowering complications associated with these infections. The objective of the current perspective review is to highlight all available data on psychotropic drugs' antimicrobial activity, discussing the molecular targets of psychotropic drugs and the impact of psychotropic drugs on the gut microbiome.