Bacteriocins for Prevention of Resistance to Antibiotics in Gram-Negative Bacteria

Antibiotic resistance in bacteria has become a major global health issue affecting both humans and animals. This widespread resistance has developed due to various bacterial defense mechanisms. These include reduced cell permeability, the use of efflux pumps, formation of biofilms and producing resistance enzymes such as β-lactamases. The mechanisms above render many antibiotics ineffective, substantially limiting therapeutic options accessible for bacterial infections. As peptides with antimicrobial activity, bacteriocins can be found in both gram-negative (GNB) and gram-positive bacteria (GPB), rendering promising alternatives to fight against antibiotic resistance. These peptides are characterized by their high specificity, antimicrobial activity and potential to lessen resistance development. Bacteriocins are particular for their ability to fight multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens and this makes them a strong option for therapeutic applications. This review focuses on bacteriocins, their mechanisms of action, their effectiveness against antibiotic-resistant GNB, and the obstacles hindering their clinical application. The review also examines the potential applications of bacteriocins in other fields including medicine, agriculture and environmental management. Although there has been some progressive headway, challenges remain in translating bacteriocins to clinical use. There is a need for interdisciplinary collaboration to address these barriers. To provide a thorough understanding, this review combines data from multiple studies and presents findings through quantitative and qualitative analyses. Tables, images and schematic representations are incorporated to clarify complex data.