Antimicrobial Peptides in Focus: Functional Potential and Translational Evidence from Swine Systems

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) constitute a structurally diverse class of bioactive molecules with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity and immunomodulatory properties. Their high efficacy, low propensity for resistance development, biodegradability, and lack of drug residues make AMPs promising alternatives to antibiotics in animal agriculture. This review summarizes current AMP classification schemes and their class-specific structural and functional characteristics, providing a basis for further application-oriented research. The biological activities of AMPs are discussed in the context of their antimicrobial modes of action and immune modulation of host immunity. Evidence from swine production is used to illustrate the practical potential of AMPs in enhancing animal health, reducing antibiotic usage, and improving the safety of animal-derived foods. Finally, particular emphasis is placed on emerging multidisciplinary strategies, including peptide engineering, nanomaterial-enabled targeted delivery systems, advanced chemical synthesis techniques, and artificial intelligence-assisted peptide design, which aim to improve their stability, efficacy, and applicability in agricultural and food systems.