Insects as a Novel Source of Antimicrobial Therapeutics: Current Advances and Future Perspectives

The widespread misuse and overuse of antibiotics over recent decades have contributed to the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), creating a growing need for alternative antimicrobial strategies. Insects are a rich yet underutilized source of antimicrobial compounds, particularly antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which play a crucial role in their innate immune systems. Although previous reviews have discussed insect-derived AMPs and bioactive compounds, relatively few have comprehensively examined their activities against bacterial, fungal, and viral pathogens. This review highlights recent advances in insect-derived AMPs, focusing on their diversity across insect groups, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral activities, mechanisms of action, and therapeutic potential in the context of AMR. We also discuss other insect-derived products with antimicrobial properties, including venom components, wound-associated secretions, and chitin-derived biomaterials. In addition, we examine the potential of combining insect-derived AMPs with conventional antimicrobials, which may enhance antimicrobial efficacy, reduce the required dose of conventional agents, and potentially limit the emergence of resistance. Emerging omics- and AI-based approaches for identifying and characterizing promising antimicrobial candidates are considered, alongside a discussion of key challenges associated with their therapeutic application. Overall, insect-derived AMPs show great promise as alternative or complementary antimicrobial agents; however, further clinical studies are required to establish their therapeutic relevance.