Frontiers in antibiotics最新文献

{"title":"Impact of a structured urine culture request form on antimicrobial stewardship in urinary tract infections at a tertiary care hospital in India.","authors":"Supreeta R Shettar, Mahadevaiah Neelambike Sumana, Manjunath S Shetty, Yogeesh D Maheshwarappa, Raghukanth Reddy, Asha Srinivasan, Gautam Kalyatanda, Amruthraj G Gowda","doi":"10.3389/frabi.2026.1793784","DOIUrl":"10.3389/frabi.2026.1793784","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Interpretation of urine culture results requires key clinical information such as symptom status, catheterization, and multidrug-resistant organism (MDRO) risk. However, this information is frequently absent from routine request forms, contributing to overtreatment of asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) and suboptimal antimicrobial prescribing. This study evaluated the impact of implementing a structured urine-culture request form as part of a diagnostic and therapeutic stewardship program.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This prospective, non-randomized interventional study was conducted at an 1800-bed tertiary-care hospital in India (March 2023-March 2024). Patients undergoing urine culture testing in Urology/Nephrology departments used a structured request form capturing symptoms, risk factors, and clinical context (test arm), while General Medicine continued routine forms (control arm). Primary outcomes included ASB treatment, MDRO detection, recurrence, and guideline-concordant prescribing. Patients were followed for one year.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 484 patients were included (198 test arm, 286 control arm). Antibiotic treatment for ASB was significantly lower in the test arm compared with the control arm (3.6% vs 67.0%; p < 0.001), without adverse outcomes. Guideline-compliant prescribing was higher in the test arm (73.7% vs 26.2%; p < 0.001). MDRO prevalence was higher in the test arm (32.2% vs 11.3%), reflecting greater clinical complexity rather than the intervention itself. Recurrent urinary tract infection (UTI) within one year was significantly lower in the test arm (14.1% vs 29.0%; p < 0.001).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Introducing a structured urine-culture request form improved diagnostic clarity and antibiotic prescribing, particularly by reducing unnecessary treatment of ASB and increasing guideline compliance, without compromising patient outcomes. This low-cost intervention represents a practical and scalable diagnostic stewardship strategy for improving UTI management.</p>","PeriodicalId":73065,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in antibiotics","volume":"5 ","pages":"1793784"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13266402/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148266971","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Empirical antibiotic prescribing in COVID-19 patients: patterns and predictors in a resource-constrained Central Indian setting.","authors":"Manju Purohit, Deepali Pathak, Devendra Baghel, Jitendra Jat, Ashish Sharma, Ashish Pathak","doi":"10.3389/frabi.2026.1826199","DOIUrl":"10.3389/frabi.2026.1826199","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Empirical antibiotic prescribing during the COVID-19 pandemic may have accelerated antimicrobial resistance, particularly in resource-constrained settings with limited diagnostic and stewardship capacity. This study characterized antibiotic prescribing patterns and identified predictors among hospitalized COVID-19 patients in rural Central India.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This retrospective observational study included 951 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients (aged ≥18 years, hospitalized ≥48 hours) admitted between March 2020 and December 2021. Antibiotic use was assessed using WHO ATC/DDD methodology and Drug Utilization 90% (DU90%) analysis. Predictors of antibiotic prescription were evaluated using multivariable logistic regression. Empirical prescribing was defined as antibiotic initiation without microbiological confirmation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among 951 patients (mean age 53 ± 15.8 years; 64% male), 54% had ≥1 comorbidity and 74% required oxygen; 20% required mechanical ventilation. Antibiotics were prescribed to 90% (858/951); 46% received two agents and 8% ≥3 agents. The DU90% segment consisted of WHO \"Watch\" antibiotics, mainly amoxicillin-clavulanate (40.87 g/100 patient-days), doxycycline (18.26), and azithromycin (17.12). However, the use of meropenem (4.04 DDD gm/100 patients) a WHO Reserve group carbapenem is particularly alarming. Elevated C-reactive protein (>10 mg/dL) was the strongest predictor of antibiotic use (adjusted OR 29.28, 95% CI 17.53-48.89; p<0.001). Antibiotic recipients had longer median hospital stays (11 vs 8 days). Overall mortality was 26%.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Empirical antibiotic use was extremely high and driven by WHO \"Watch\" and \"reserve\" group agents, largely associated with elevated CRP in the absence of culture testing. Strengthening diagnostics and stewardship programs is urgently needed to reduce unnecessary broad-spectrum antibiotic exposure.</p>","PeriodicalId":73065,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in antibiotics","volume":"5 ","pages":"1826199"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13231588/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148165846","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Antimycobacterial peptides as natural therapeutics for tuberculosis: mechanisms and structural features.","authors":"Pulak Pritam, Sreelipta Das, Sandeep Kumar Behera, Monali Sahoo, Lopamudra Subudhi, Shibani Mohapatra, Alok Kumar Panda","doi":"10.3389/frabi.2026.1769369","DOIUrl":"10.3389/frabi.2026.1769369","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The disease tuberculosis, caused by <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i>, is one of the leading causes of global human mortality. The rise of multidrug and extensively drug-resistant strains of the pathogen and the limited efficacy of the BCG vaccine is one of the major concerns worldwide. Conventional chemotherapy for tuberculosis is often very long and has several side effects. These factors lead to an urgent need for alternative, non-toxic therapeutic strategies with minimal side effects. Antimycobacterial peptides (AMPs), are a class of natural compounds that have shown a broad spectrum of anti-mycobacterial activity with a low propensity for the development of anti-mycobacterial resistance. This review summarizes the current antimycobacterial peptides, highlighting their structural features, physicochemical determinants, and their mechanism of action. Some of the key peptides have been critically discussed with respect to their membrane targeting mechanism. The role of structural modifications, such as disulfide bonding, cyclization, hydrophobicity tuning, and post-translational modifications, in enhancing antimycobacterial efficacy and stability is also examined. Consequently, the broad mechanism of action of these peptides and their role in the development of anti-tuberculosis drugs have been emphasized. This article combines mechanistic and structural insights to show how antimycobacterial peptides could become new anti-TB drugs. It also provides a guide for developing and improving peptide therapies for tuberculosis.</p>","PeriodicalId":73065,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in antibiotics","volume":"5 ","pages":"1769369"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13190582/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148019096","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Microbial interactions of EDTA: recent advances and biological applications in the context of natural product modulation.","authors":"Gunanidhi Sahoo, Aditi Jena, Sudipta Kumar Patra, Sujogya Kumar Panda, Satyanarayan Pal","doi":"10.3389/frabi.2026.1767602","DOIUrl":"10.3389/frabi.2026.1767602","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and objectives: </strong>Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and its salts have been the choice of chelating agents since the 1940s. This review presents an updated details of their synthesis, general biology, ecotoxicological aspects, and applications as antimicrobial and antibacterial agents in combination with natural products.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Relevant research papers were retrieved from PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar through November 2025. Experimental uses of EDTA were excluded. The search terms used were \"EDTA\" AND \"ECOTOXICOLOGY\"; \"EDTA\" AND \"GENOTOXICITY\"; \"EDTA\" AND \"ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY\"; \"EDTA\" AND \"ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY\" AND \"DENTAL\" and \"EDTA\" AND \"ANTICANCER ACTIVITY\", \"EDTA IN COMBINATION WITH NATURAL PRODUCTS\".</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Sodium/calcium salts of EDTA are water soluble, and their antiseptic efficacy is pH-dependent. They are effective against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, as well as pathogenic yeasts, and adversely affect bacterial cell walls, thereby destabilizing biofilms. Multiple nature-derived compounds and standard antibiotics, in combination with EDTA and other therapeutic agents, minimize biofilms in intravascular and urinary catheters. It chelates various metal ions (including heavy metals) into a redox-inactive state, and thereby reduce their toxicity. Furthermore, it was shown to enhance the antimicrobial and antibacterial efficacy of various natural therapeutics when used together.</p><p><strong>Interpretation and conclusions: </strong>EDTA is a stable, readily available, affordable and comparatively safer chelating agent with antibacterial, antifungal, and antibiofilm properties. EDTA is now found to produce a synergistic effect when combined with natural therapeutics on their antimicrobial/antibiofilm activities. This approach proved fruitful in enhancing the capabilities of natural antibiotics against multidrug-resistant bacteria and in reducing the toxic effects of EDTA.</p>","PeriodicalId":73065,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in antibiotics","volume":"5 ","pages":"1767602"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13149376/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147870441","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Translational barriers to phage endolysin deployment for antimicrobial resistance control in Africa.","authors":"Anayochukwu Chibuike Ngene, Michael Ndubuisi Umeh, Maryjoy Chioma Ibeh, Ekene Samuel Odo, Chinedu Godspower Ohaegbu","doi":"10.3389/frabi.2026.1815611","DOIUrl":"10.3389/frabi.2026.1815611","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a rapidly escalating threat to public health, food security, and environmental sustainability across Africa, where limited diagnostic capacity, unregulated antibiotic use, and weak pharmaceutical pipelines exacerbate treatment failures. Bacteriophage-derived endolysins have emerged globally as promising next-generation antimicrobials due to their rapid bacteriolytic activity, low resistance potential, and modular engineering flexibility. Despite significant advances in endolysin discovery, engineering, and clinical translation worldwide, their deployment in Africa remains negligible. This disparity raises a critical question: <i>why have phage endolysins not progressed beyond early-stage research in Africa despite their relevance to the continent's AMR burden?</i> This review provides a critical analysis of the translational barriers hindering the development, adoption, and commercialization of phage endolysins for AMR control in Africa. Drawing on published African and global literature, we identify interconnected scientific, infrastructural, regulatory, economic, and policy-related constraints that limit progress from laboratory discovery to real-world application. Key barriers include limited genomic and protein engineering capacity, absence of regional phage and endolysin repositories, inadequate biosafety and regulatory frameworks for biologics, dependence on imported reagents and expression systems, and weak integration of lysin technologies into national AMR and One Health action plans. We further highlight a mismatch between globally prioritized lysin targets and Africa's dominant clinical, agricultural, and environmental pathogens. By reframing the African endolysin landscape through a translational failure lens, this review moves beyond descriptive summaries to propose actionable pathways for overcoming these barriers. We outline strategic priorities for capacity building, regulatory harmonization, funding mechanisms, and regional collaboration necessary to enable Africa's participation in the global endolysin pipeline. Addressing these translational bottlenecks is essential for ensuring equitable access to lysin-based antimicrobials and for positioning Africa as an active contributor to next-generation AMR solutions rather than a passive end-user.</p>","PeriodicalId":73065,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in antibiotics","volume":"5 ","pages":"1815611"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13111215/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147790806","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Simultaneous measurement of 16S-rRNA and pre-16S-rRNA as a strategy to monitor clinical tuberculosis.","authors":"Evelin Dombay, Wilber Sabiiti, Daniela Alferes de Lima Headley, M Bonifác Légrády, Nina van Campen, Sanne Zweijpfennig, Martin J Boeree, Derek J Sloan, Stephen H Gillespie","doi":"10.3389/frabi.2026.1760862","DOIUrl":"10.3389/frabi.2026.1760862","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Culture-based biomarkers of TB treatment response monitoring, e.g., Mycobacterial Growth Indicatory Tube (MGIT), are compromised when bacteria enter a non-replicating persister phase limiting the measurement of antibiotic efficacy and resistance. Understanding how antibiotic exposure to antibiotics alters bacterial physiology could help develop more effective TB therapies. We developed a novel assay with simultaneous measurement of 16S rRNA (bacterial burden) and its precursor, pre-16S rRNA (metabolic activity), and tested it on samples from patients in a trial of optimised-dose rifampicin.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We developed a multiplex reverse transcriptase quantitative PCR assay (RT-qPCR) to measure relative gene expression of pre-16S rRNA and 16S rRNA in pre-treatment (control) and sequential samples from patients in the Phase II HIGHRIF2 (NCT00760149) clinical trial. We constructed a mathematical model to assess changes in pre-16S gene expression relative to 16S rRNA over time, facilitating the comparison of rifampicin doses' efficacy.</p><p><strong>Findings: </strong>In a retrospective study of 19 patients, pre-16S rRNA and 16S rRNA decreased steadily during the initial 36 days of treatment. This was evidenced by the rising cycle threshold (Cq) values slope 0.404 and 0.212, respectively, however, pre-16S rRNA decreased significantly quicker (P<0.0001). The changes in the relative gene expression of pre-16S rRNA during treatment fitted a double exponential decay curve (R² = 0.996). According to this model, 1200 mg RIF-containing therapy exerted the most potent and rapid impact on pre-16S rRNA expression (Maximum suppression (R_min)=1.694, T (time) =9.78 days), and also resulted in the swiftest daily reduction in bacterial load (-0.072 log₁₀ CFU ml^-1/day).</p><p><strong>Interpretation: </strong>The pre-16S rRNA and 16S rRNA gene expression multiplex PCR reported here provides an easy to use and rapid marker of drug efficacy and has potential to assess the efficacy of existing or novel drug combinations.</p>","PeriodicalId":73065,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in antibiotics","volume":"5 ","pages":"1760862"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13101433/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147790780","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Traditional medicine and natural product based therapeutics in gingivitis management and microbial interactions.","authors":"Pranita Rath, Sudipta Kumar Patra, Manisha Dash, Sandeep Kumar Behera, Shibani Mohapatra, Kabir Suman Dash, Alok Kumar Panda","doi":"10.3389/frabi.2026.1764314","DOIUrl":"10.3389/frabi.2026.1764314","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Gingivitis is a reversible inflammatory condition of gingival tissues and is majorly driven by the formation and accumulation of microbial biofilm. Untreated gingivitis often leads to periodontitis and ultimate tooth loss. The management of gingivitis through conventional methods relies mainly on the use of chemical antiseptics and antibiotics and the removal of plaque. However, the long-term use of the chemicals and antibiotics may alter the microflora and may also lead to antimicrobial resistance. This has led to increased interest in the usage of natural products-based herbal and traditional medicine as safer alternative medicine. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the pathogenesis of gingivitis with an emphasis on the microbial interaction and conversion of the microflora as the disease progresses. It evaluates the potential of major medicinal plants and their bioactive components used to cure the disease gingivitis. The antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and tissue-healing mechanisms of these medicinal plants are discussed alongside evidence from clinical trials. The review further highlights the limitations, such as the lack of standardized formulations and dosage variability differences among the various traditional and herbal medicinal practitioners, which prevents universal adoption of traditional medicine for treating gingivitis. In addition, advanced technologies such as the use of artificial intelligence for developing odontonutraceuticals, and next-generation polyherbal have also been explored. This review established the traditional and herbal medicine as an effective strategy for treating and managing gingivitis.</p>","PeriodicalId":73065,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in antibiotics","volume":"5 ","pages":"1764314"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13094120/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147790763","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Awareness and practices regarding antimicrobial resistance among livestock farmers in Northern Uganda.","authors":"John Dickens Kato, Peace Okello Lamaro, John Paul Waiswa, Grace Madraa, Donald Otika, Morrish Obol Okello, Daniel S Ebbs, Pebalo Francis Pebolo, Felix Bongomin","doi":"10.3389/frabi.2026.1745965","DOIUrl":"10.3389/frabi.2026.1745965","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;Antimicrobial use in animals may contribute to antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which poses direct risks to animal health and welfare and can potentially impact human health since some diseases affect both animals and people. This study determined the level of awareness regarding AMR among livestock farmers in Northern Uganda.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among livestock farmers in three districts of Northern Uganda, namely, Gulu, Omoro, and Amuru districts. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;Data from 246 participants, with a median age of 38 years (interquartile range: 29-50 years), were analyzed. Most farmers had attained a primary level of education (&lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt; = 125, 50.8%) and grew crops as their major economic activity (&lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt; = 88, 35.8%). Goats were the most commonly reared animals (&lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt; = 167, 67.7%). The median distance from the nearest drug shop was 2 km (interquartile range: 1-5 km). Most farmers had good awareness on AMR (158, 64.2%), with more than half of the farmers (&lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt; = 134, 54.5%) having heard of AMR, but only 48 (35.8%) understood its correct meaning. Most farmers (&lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt; = 220, 89.4%) noted AMR as an important issue in farming, with many farmers (&lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt; = 133, 54.5%) opting to seek veterinary advice for prevention. Most farmers had appropriate AMU (219, 89.0%), with 203 (82.5%) having used antimicrobials in the last 12 months. Most farmers (&lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt; = 184, 74.8%) obtained drugs and dosage from veterinary doctors, with majority following the recommended dosage (&lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt; = 227, 92.3%) and proper withdrawal periods (&lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt; = 221, 89.8%). Overall, few farmers (&lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt; = 81, 32.9%) received training on AMR, with more than half getting training from veterinary professionals (&lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt; = 41, 55.4%). The major source of information was veterinary professionals (&lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt; = 181, 73.6%), followed by radio stations (&lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt; = 160, 65.0%). Using logistic regression where &lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.05 was considered statistically significant, secondary education was the only factor significantly influencing AMR awareness at multivariable analysis (aOR: 1.85, 95% CI: 0.80-4.26, &lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt; = 0.030), while age group 52-85 years was the only factor significantly associated with appropriate practices at both bivariate analysis (cOR: 8.10, 95% CI: 1.07-61.37, &lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt; = 0.043) and multivariable analysis with a stronger significance (aOR: 11.19, 95% CI: 1.50-83.36, &lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt; = 0.018). A chi-square analysis was done where &lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.05 was considered statistically significant, and it showed that there was a significant difference to access to veterinary services across districts (&lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt; = 0.014) and a highly significant association between training and appropriate practices in farmers (&lt;i&gt;X&lt;/i&gt; &lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; (1) = 13.048, &lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt; = 0.000).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusion: &lt;/strong&gt;Most livestock farmers had limite","PeriodicalId":73065,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in antibiotics","volume":"5 ","pages":"1745965"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13093969/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147790819","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Antimicrobial peptides: emerging next-generation strategy for sustainable plant disease management.","authors":"Dipayan Das, Tasqeen Khan, Jinkee Kalita, Sarvesh Rustagi, Sujogya Kumar Panda, Niraj Singh, Yugal Kishore Mohanta","doi":"10.3389/frabi.2026.1766594","DOIUrl":"10.3389/frabi.2026.1766594","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Plant diseases reduce agricultural productivity worldwide, and this decline is further accelerated by climate variability, monoculture cultivation systems, and the excessive use of synthetic agrochemicals. Overuse of chemical (synthetic) pesticides in agriculture results in ecological stress, including loss of beneficial microbes. As a solution, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are viable natural alternative to antibiotics and pesticides, due to their potent, broad-spectrum, and targeted properties, as well as their low susceptibility to the development of resistance. As small cationic amphipathic molecules found in plants, animals, and microorganisms, these AMPs are known to modulate membrane permeabilisation, disrupt intracellular systems, and stimulate the immune response. The AMP defence system depends on the highly interconnected gene network that supports efficient signal transmission and tightly coordinated gene clusters that support systematic responses to pathogen attack. These molecules can be considered as attractive biocidal agents due to their ability to target microbial membranes and cause rapid cell death, thereby having potential as broad-spectrum biocontrol agents against bacteria, fungi, and viruses. AMPs are also effective against multidrug-resistant pathogens. In plants, AMP families such as defensins, thionins, cyclotides, LTPs (lipid transfer proteins), snakins, and hevein-like peptides act as constitutive \"natural antibiotics\" which are involved in activating defensive signalling cascades upon pathogen infection. Microbial AMPs, such as bacteriocins, suppress pathogenic and spoilage bacteria by forming pores and inhibiting cell wall synthesis. At the same time, lipopeptides promote beneficial biofilms and plant defence pathways without direct toxicity. Progress in molecular biology, computational modelling, and synthetic biology has revealed the discovery, engineering, and optimisation of AMPs for agriculture. This review summarises the mechanisms of antibiotic mimicry by AMPs and discusses their structural and functional diversity, as well as their potential applications in sustainable plant disease management. The present study also evaluated AMPs as an alternative to chemical pesticides and antimicrobial agents, offering an environmentally compatible, durable, and efficient approach to preventing plant diseases.</p>","PeriodicalId":73065,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in antibiotics","volume":"5 ","pages":"1766594"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13057343/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147647765","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Efficacy of a novel thermo-reversible wound gel against antibiotic tolerant biofilm.","authors":"Jeyachchandran Visvalingam, Anna Muzaleva, Miloslav Sailer, Sarvesh Logsetty, Robert B Huizinga","doi":"10.3389/frabi.2026.1773630","DOIUrl":"10.3389/frabi.2026.1773630","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Chronic wounds are frequently colonized by biofilm-forming bacteria, and one of the defining characteristics of these infections is the resulting tolerance to antibiotics. A novel thermo-reversible antimicrobial wound gel (revyve^® Antimicrobial Wound Gel, TRG), formulated to target biofilms, was evaluated for its ability to inactivate antibiotic-tolerant biofilms using both a colony biofilm model and a porcine skin explant biofilm model. Mature biofilms of <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> and <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> were grown on nitrocellulose membranes or porcine skin explants for 72 hours at 37 °C. Before any treatment, viable numbers of <i>S. aureus</i> and <i>P. aeruginosa</i> were ≥ 9.7 log CFU in the colony biofilm model, and 8.3 and 6.6 log CFU, respectively, in the porcine skin explant model. Biofilms were then washed and treated with defined concentrations of antibiotics for 24 hours to select for antibiotic-tolerant cells, followed by up to 7 days of TRG treatment. Antibiotic treatment caused a significant (P ≤ 0.05) reduction in viable numbers of both organisms in both models, resulting in survival of ≥ 5 log CFU of tolerant biofilm cells. Subsequent treatment with TRG reduced viable numbers of <i>S. aureus</i> to below detection limits, causing a 7.9 log CFU reduction at 24 hours in the colony biofilm model and a 5.5 log CFU reduction at 72 hours in the porcine skin explant model. In the colony biofilm model, viable numbers of <i>P. aeruginosa</i> were reduced to below the detection limit, corresponding to a 6.1 log CFU reduction at 24 hours, while in the porcine skin explant model, TRG caused a 3.5 log CFU reduction at 72 hours, with no further changes observed up to 7 days. These results indicate that TRG was effective at inactivating antibiotic-tolerant biofilms and may serve as a valuable tool in combating biofilms in chronic wounds.</p>","PeriodicalId":73065,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in antibiotics","volume":"5 ","pages":"1773630"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13019890/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147576779","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}