Cyanobacteria and their metabolites - can they be helpful in the fight against pathogenic microbes?

Abstract Natural ecosystems are a rich source of compounds that can be considered as drugs to combat viral and bacterial infections. Cyanobacteria play a key role in the search for these compounds. These microorganisms, besides their well-known cytotoxicity to humans, are also a rich reservoir of metabolites with antiviral and antibacterial activities. These compounds are extremely diverse in their chemical structures. Moreover, recent reports have shown that Cyanobacteria can be used as platforms for the synthesis of antibacterial molecules such as gold and silver nanoparticles. In this review, we summarize and discuss recent reports on antiviral significance of these metabolites against the most relevant viruses, such as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV), and Influenza Virus. We also focus on the effects of cyanobacterial metabolites against Gram-positive bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus , as well as Gram-negative bacteria, including those from the ESKAPE group of pathogens. It is outlined what future research on the isolation of cyanobacterial metabolites should focus on to improve the effectiveness of this process and lead to the commercialization of widely available drugs for the pharmaceutical market.