Antimicrobial Peptides: Bringing Solution to the Rising Threats of Antimicrobial Resistance in Livestock

Shamsaldeen Ibrahim Saeed; AhmedElmontaser Mergani; Erkihun Aklilu; Nor Fadhilah Kamaruzzman

doi:10.3389/fvets.2022.851052

Antimicrobial Peptides: Bringing Solution to the Rising Threats of Antimicrobial Resistance in Livestock

Front Vet Sci. 2022 Apr 8:9:851052. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2022.851052. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Shamsaldeen Ibrahim Saeed^{1

2}, AhmedElmontaser Mergani^{3

4

5}, Erkihun Aklilu¹, Nor Fadhilah Kamaruzzman¹

Affiliations

¹ Faculty Veterinary Medicine, University Malaysia Kelantan, Pengkalan Chepa, Malaysia.
² Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Nyala, Nyala, Sudan.
³ Department of Biochemistry, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hanover, Germany.
⁴ Research Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonoses (RIZ), University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hanover, Germany.
⁵ Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Khartoum, Khartoum North, Sudan.

Abstract

Antimicrobial therapy is the most applied method for treating and preventing bacterial infection in livestock. However, it becomes less effective due to the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Therefore, there is an urgent need to find new antimicrobials to reduce the rising rate of AMR. Recently, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been receiving increasing attention due to their broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, rapid killing activities, less toxicity, and cell selectivity. These features make them potent and potential alternative antimicrobials to be used in animals. Here, we discuss and summarize the AMPs in animals, classification, structures, mechanisms of action, and their potential use as novel therapeutic alternative antimicrobials to tackle the growing AMR threat.

Keywords: alternative antimicrobial; antimicrobial peptides (AMPs); antimicrobial resistance (AMR); bacterial infection; livestock.

Publication types

Review