Marine natural products and their synthetic analogs as promising antibiofilm agents for antibiotics discovery and development

Abstract

Biofilm is a complex microbial consortium that are embedded in a membrane structure of the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). As a major form of microorganisms in nature, biofilm has evolved complex and diverse resistance mechanisms to numerous known antibiotics, posing a major threat to human health. The biofilm formation of pathogens including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans, etc. has become the most commonly reasons for clinically chronic and incurable infectious diseases, which urges the development of effective antibiofilm agents. The adaptation of marine organisms and microorganisms to their unique habitats has led to the formation of natural products with charming chemical diversity and biological activity, providing a rich reservoir for the development of antibiofilm agents. According to chemical classification, 129 marine-derived natural products and their synthetic analogs with antibiofilm activity were systematically reviewed, and the related mechanisms and efficacy were discussed as well, aiming to find and develop new and effective antibiofilm agents.

Keywords: Antibiofilm agents; Antibiotics; Marine environment; Marine natural products.